Chapter 299: Orange Threads

Chapter 299: Orange Threads

Qiao Hui turned Xianjin's thoughts over in his mind. Her thoughts were as light and clear as the girl's fair and resilient nature, like a pot of delicate and refined Andu Xian soup.

Qiao Hui handed another orange over. Xianjin gave him a little show by finishing a big orange in just two bites.

Xianjin ate with her cheeks puffed up, her expression animated. “...Once my mourning period is over, I'll put on another show for you—three bites for a whole pig.”

Every New Year's Eve, her signature act was a hearty appetite, seen as a sign of vitality. So, every New Year, as long as she wasn’t in the hospital, her newly rich father would roast a suckling pig, looking at her with sincere and fervent eyes, encouraging her to eat more and more.

Over the years, Xianjin had practiced going from ten bites for a whole pig to three bites. Just as she was preparing to perfect this skill, the Pig God, who had seen enough, took her away.

She spoke with such seriousness that it didn’t feel like a joke at all.

Qiao Hui: …

An-what-du-what-xian.

Just an ordinary bug spirit who eats a whole pig in three bites.

"What are your plans after this?" Qiao Hui finished peeling the last orange in the fruit bowl, secretly deciding never to put Xianjin and oranges in the same room during the New Year again. "Are you going to retire here in the countryside?"

Xianjin put her feet up on the footrest and clasped her hands behind her head, relaxing as she leaned back. "I’m planning to continue making paper. I have six or seven workers skilled in paper-making. The materials and manpower are already available. I just need to find a good location to set up the operation and gradually expand."

Xianjin paused. "But I'll have to wait until after the New Year to see the opportunities. It’s hard to get things done in the harsh winter, so it’s better to wait until spring to make plans."

Qiao Hui nodded. "After spring, when the Grand Canal thaws, more opportunities might arise."

Xuancheng, located at the junction of north and south, has rivers that are known for their sweet water, like the southern Longchuan Creek, which rarely freezes.

Xianjin didn’t quite understand.

Scratching her head, she took Qiao Hui's words as a wish for her successful entry into North Zhili. "What about you? Will Master Qiao return? Did everything go smoothly with your trip to the Capital? Baozhu has been at her cousin's place in Huai'an Prefecture. I was about to go and fetch her..."

These answers involved the court.

After a moment of thought, Qiao Hui chose a way to answer without revealing secrets but addressing everything. "Father went to the Capital to help revise the laws. The laws have been strict for centuries, so he might stay in the Capital for an extended period. However, he might also travel south for official duties after the New Year. Baozhu might go to the Capital soon."

Xianjin slowed down her pace of eating oranges and, after a pause, slowly said, "That's good. Baozhu, following Master Qiao, is naturally better off than following me... Master Qiao has been hidden away for many years, and now it's his time to shine..."

In ancient times, with great distances between places, it could take a long time to see each other.

Xianjin felt a pang of sadness, her head drooping as she lost herself in thought.

Lying in the rocking chair, Qiao Hui accurately caught Xianjin's expression, with a hint of excitement between his brows. "Are you thinking of becoming even closer to the Qiao family?"

Xianjin was startled. "Master Qiao is elegant, and Baozhu is lovely. We’ve always been close after spending four or five years together."

Qiao Hui's eyes gleamed. "No, no, I mean... more! Do you want to be 'closer'?"

Xianjin: ?

"How so? Move into your place?" Xianjin was confused.

Qiao Hui immediately replied, "It's not impossible." After a pause, he raised an eyebrow. "You won’t have to worry about food or expenses, but you’ll need to figure out how to manage those three bites for a whole pig—scary for both people and pigs!"

Xianjin: ...

You’re crazy!

Eight out of ten sentences are just rambling!

Xianjin silently rolled her eyes.

They chatted aimlessly, hopping from one topic to another, not really discussing anything serious. They talked about Qiao Shanchang's residence in the capital and the kitten Xianjin had given to Chen Fu, which had broken three flower vases.

Whenever one topic petered out, Qiao Hui would smoothly introduce another.

Without them noticing, the patter of rain outside the window gradually became clearer.

"It's raining," Xianjin said, turning her head to look. "At noon, Mother Zhang said it would rain tonight, and I even bet five wen on it."

Qiao Hui rested his long legs casually. "At most, the rain will probably stop in an hour or so."

The rain in late autumn and early winter carried a harsh chill, pelting heavily on the roof like beads on a string, each tile forming a line that adorned the small rural courtyard in the late hours.

Xianjin smiled. "I believe you, but I'm not going to bet with you."

It tickled Qiao Hui, making him feel a bit uncomfortable.

"But with such heavy rain, my horse, having eaten its fill of beans, will have a hard time on the muddy road," Qiao Hui said.

Xianjin frowned. "Then just stay here—with this rain, it's not just the horse, even you will have a hard time. It would be exhausting for both you and the horse. By the way, Father's main courtyard has the east wing room, which Mother Zhang prepared just a few days ago. If you don't mind, you can stay there."

Qiao Hui's lips curled into a smile, but he held it back.

Xianjin led Qiao Hui to the east wing room.

The small courtyard was tiny, and after turning the corner, they arrived.

Qiao Hui stretched his shoulders casually, seemingly unintentional. "Erlang came back from Yingtian Prefecture a few days ago, right? Was that because of your decision to cut ties with the Chen family?"

Xianjin opened the door to the east wing room. By this time, Mother Zhang had already gone to sleep. Xianjin opened the cabinet herself and took out bedding.

Qiao Hui naturally reached out to take it.

With four hands, they worked together to make the bed.

Hearing Qiao Hui's question, Xianjin thought for a moment before gently replying, "Yeah, it was partly because of that."

Qiao Hui waited for Xianjin to continue.

Xianjin handed one corner of the quilt to Qiao Hui.

Qiao Hui tucked the corner of the quilt under the mattress.

"Erlang’s a good guy—always takes care of his family and friends," Xianjin's voice was calm as she focused on tucking the quilt. "But he's hard on himself, always worrying that his burdens aren't heavy enough or that the road ahead isn't steep enough. The two of you are close, so if you can, try to give him some support now and then."

Qiao Hui's eyes sparkled.

This was the third time he’d confirmed it.

Three times is the limit.

Sorry, buddy.

As soon as Xianjin turned her head, she saw Qiao Hui's gleaming eyes and jumped. "You gave me a fright! For a second, I thought a weasel was staring at me!"

Qiao Hui smiled, revealing six sparkling white teeth and his puffed-out chest.

Xianjin leaned over, patted the new cotton quilt, and smoothed out the edges, saying, "Go to sleep! With that big grin, you look like a sneaky weasel now!"

The autumn rain tapped softly through the night.

Having eaten too many oranges in the evening, Xianjin woke up frequently during the night. Drowsily, she realized the rain had stopped, and checking the water clock, she saw it had only rained for about an hour.

Xianjin rubbed her eyes, still feeling groggy.

Qiao Hui and Mother Zhang should start a weather channel.

Xianjin's head felt dizzy as she thought, passing by the west wing hall. In her daze, she saw orange peels scattered on the table.

Xianjin reached out to tidy up. When she got to Qiao Hui's side, she paused in surprise.

There was a huge pile of white orange pith...

Did Qiao Hui really clean off the white pith from the orange segments for her??