Chapter 165 City Streets 65

Chapter 165: City Life, Part 65

It was April, and today was a rare sunny day. Golden sunlight dispersed the oppressive, low-hanging gray clouds, leaving the sky a clear, washed-out blue, with only occasional fluffy, cotton-like white clouds visible.

The sun dried the bluestone pavement that had been damp for several days, and the townsfolk, who had been cooped up indoors to avoid the rain, gradually emerged.

In Fruit Lane, pale gray wisps of smoke rose from the Qin family’s small courtyard, carrying the faint, comforting scent of cooking grains.

“Brother Liu, is this alright?”

“Yes, yes. Keep at it; I’ll go check the fire in the stove.”

The voices of Liu Guyu and Qin Banban came from the kitchen—Banban was making flatbreads and had called Liu Guyu over to help.

She scooped out a lump of white lard to grease the pan, spreading a glossy sheen of oil. With the pan hot and greased, she began frying the flatbreads.

The dough, made from cornmeal and buckwheat flour, was divided into small portions and rolled into palm-sized thin rounds with a rolling pin. Once the pan was ready, the flatbreads were slapped onto its hot sides.

The flatbreads fried with lard were incredibly fragrant. They didn’t need much else—just a sprinkle of salt and a handful of toasted sesame seeds made them crispy and delicious. You could eat them plain, or if you liked, stuffed with pickled vegetables or sour radish. You could easily eat four or five in a single sitting.

The cornmeal flatbreads were a golden yellow that made your mouth water, with a crispy exterior and a soft, fluffy interior. The buckwheat flatbreads were darker in color but had a rich, nutty aroma. While cornmeal had a light, fresh flavor, buckwheat had a subtle wheat fragrance. Adding brown sugar to make sweet buckwheat flatbreads would create an entirely different flavor.

But Chen Sanxi didn’t care for sweets, so Qin Banban didn’t add any brown sugar.

Indeed, these flatbreads were made for Chen Sanxi.

Since the last incident, the two young people had grown closer, and even Qin Rongshi thought better of him.

When Chen Sanxi bought snacks for his junior martial sister, he occasionally grabbed some pastries that Qin Banban enjoyed. Banban visited the escort agency every few days, but Chen Sanxi was usually busy training and had little time to entertain her.

Over time, Qin Banban struck up a friendship with Escort Chief He’s youngest daughter, Yaya.

A month passed, and it was time for Chen Sanxi to escort a shipment out of the city.

Since he was traveling far, he needed provisions for the road, so Banban prepared some for him.

In addition to the thin flatbreads, she also made thicker ones, mixing scallions and eggs into the dough, brushing them with sesame oil, and sprinkling sesame seeds before pan-frying. These came out glossy and were best eaten fresh off the pan!

Qin Banban had initially considered adding meat fillings, but meat wouldn’t keep well, so she decided against it.

Besides these, she also made steamed cornbread, mantou, scallion rolls, and bitter vegetable buns… already filling two large colanders.

Liu Guyu teased, “Banban, why make so much? Sanxi only has one mouth—he can’t possibly eat all this!”

Banban’s ears tinged red, but she smiled generously. “If he can’t finish it alone, there are other escorts on the road! Uncle He said he won’t be going this time—Chen Sanxi is leading the escort! This is his first time leading a team!”

As luck would have it, the escort agency had two assignments around the same time. He Kuan took the larger shipment, while the smaller one was entrusted to Chen Sanxi.

Though Chen Sanxi was his youngest disciple, He Kuan was especially fond of him, believing the young man had courage and daring, much like himself in his youth, and thus gave him this opportunity to prove his worth.

Just as they were talking, Cui Lanfang hurried in, carrying a bamboo broom.

“This weather is insane, changing without warning! It was sunny just a moment ago, and now it’s raining!”

She had come in just in time, but the ends of her hair were still damp. A group of cats and dogs came in with her, now huddled under the eaves to avoid the rain.

The weather was bizarre—one moment, the sky was blue with white clouds and warm sunshine; the next, an eerie wind kicked up. Dark clouds gathered ominously from nowhere, and rain began to pour, rattling noisily outside, drenching the courtyard that had just dried.

A cherry tree in the yard drooped listlessly under the rain. Cui Lanfang had recently been complaining that the continuous rain would ruin the delicate cherries, and they might not get to enjoy fresh ones this year.

Liu Guyu also frowned, taking a couple of steps outside and muttering to himself, “Erlang isn’t back yet.”

Today was a day off, but Qin Rongshi had gone to the academy. Taking advantage of the good weather, he had likely stayed longer in the library, never expecting the rain to arrive so suddenly.

Liu Guyu began searching for an umbrella to go out, but before he found one, he heard a couple of barks from the yard. Cui Lanfang and Qin Banban stepped out to look and saw that Qin Rongshi had returned.

Upon seeing him, the barking dog quieted down, wagging its tail energetically under the eaves, spinning like a top.

“He’s back! He’s back! Gu Yu, Erlang is back! No need to look for the umbrella!”

Cui Lanfang called out to the house.

Hearing this, Liu Guyu leaned halfway out the door and indeed saw Qin Rongshi walking in.

He was dressed in a green robe over white underclothes, carrying a book chest in one hand and holding a plain oil-paper umbrella in the other. His slender, well-defined hand gripped the umbrella handle, the vibrant green of his sleeves accentuating the paleness of his wrist.

He hadn’t gotten wet, but the wind-driven rain had splashed onto the hem of his robe, darkening the fabric.

Qin Rongshi didn’t speak immediately. He quickly stepped under the eaves, closed the umbrella, shook off the rainwater, and glanced back at Liu Guyu.

Liu Guyu stood at the kitchen door, tilting his head as he looked at Qin Rongshi, one hand steadying the crooked bamboo hat on his head.

He was still wearing a straw rain cape, which was oversized, enveloping him completely from head to toe. His hands and feet were hidden, leaving only his face visible, making it appear smaller.

Seeing Qin Rongshi, Liu Guyu’s eyes lit up, and he spread his arms and rushed forward like a fluttering moth.

“You’re back!”

Qin Rongshi couldn’t help but laugh aloud, his eyes fixed on him.

Qin Rongshi: “Why are you dressed like this?”

Liu Guyu straightened his hat, and Qin Rongshi gently corrected the tilt of his head, smiling as he listened.

“It’s raining! I was going to pick you up!”

The fluttering moth seemed even more delighted.

Qin Rongshi: “…”

Qin Rongshi pressed his lips together but ultimately couldn’t suppress his laughter.

The fluttering moth: “…What are you laughing at?”

Qin Rongshi didn’t answer. Instead, he reached out and removed the bamboo hat from Liu Guyu’s head, then began untying the straw rain cape. As he worked, he said, “This rain cape is too big for you. Ill-fitting ones don’t keep the rain out. Next time, we’ll buy a smaller one.”

Liu Guyu pouted but didn’t press further, simply spreading his arms to let Qin Rongshi remove the cape.

Cui Lanfang, watching the two young men getting along so well, felt happy. She nudged Qin Banban back into the kitchen, leaving the space under the eaves to them.

While removing the rain cape and hat, Qin Rongshi accidentally nudged Liu Guyu’s headband askew.

“Let me retie it for you.”

Qin Rongshi looked down at him, his voice slightly hoarse. Liu Guyu, sensing something off, tried to look up and read his expression, but Qin Rongshi had already placed a hand on the back of his neck, holding him in place.

Unable to move, Liu Guyu asked curiously, “Tie what?”

He hadn’t yet realized his headband was crooked.

But the next moment, his forehead felt cool—it was the headband being removed.

Qin Rongshi drew closer to him, almost chest to chest, holding the headband up to his forehead. The warm breath from his lips and nose fanned across Liu Guyu’s face, making his cheeks flush.

The ends of the headband were wrapped around the back of his head, and Qin Rongshi’s arms came around him as well, so that from a distance, it looked like Liu Guyu was wrapped in his arms.

His fingers quickly tied the headband at the back of his head, his warm fingertips brushing past his earlobes, followed by Qin Rongshi’s deep voice.

“Done.”

Liu Guyu coughed, instinctively wanting to take a step back, but as soon as he lifted his foot, he bumped against the wall.

His ears felt hot, and he awkwardly reached up to touch the headband, his thoughts scattering as he spoke without thinking.

“Doesn't this make me look like I’m in postpartum confinement?”

Qin Rongshi: “…”

Qin Rongshi fell silent for a long while, staring intently at Liu Guyu. It was unclear what he was thinking, but his eyes were deep and shadowed, as if concealing a storm.

In the end, he only sighed softly. He didn’t respond to Liu Guyu’s seemingly teasing remark but couldn’t resist reaching out to pinch Liu Guyu’s reddened earlobe, saying in a low voice, “Let’s go inside and eat.”

With that, he turned and entered the kitchen first.

Liu Guyu: “…”

Once he came to his senses, Liu Guyu felt like banging his head against the wall!

He had forgotten!

Here, Qin Rongshi could really make him go through postpartum confinement!

It had been several years since he time-traveled, but he still hadn’t gotten used to this body that could bear children.

Liu Guyu thought, touching his belly.

“Gu Yu! Come in and eat!”

Before he could start banging his head, he heard Cui Lanfang calling from inside the house.

Liu Guyu rubbed his flushed face and ears, responded with an “Eh,” and hurried into the house.

The meal was already set on the table. Everyone had taken their seats. There were a few simple dishes, along with flatbreads and steamed buns that Qin Banban had made that day.

Qin Rongshi sat across from Liu Guyu, holding a white porcelain bowl, apparently drinking soup.

Qin Banban pulled Liu Guyu to sit down and also served him a bowl of soup, saying, “Freshly made brown sugar ginger soup. Have a bowl to warm your stomach, Brother Liu.”

After everyone had a bowl of ginger soup, they began to eat.

Qin Rongshi looked at the flatbreads and steamed buns on the table and noticed many more placed in the colander on the counter.

He asked curiously, “Why did you make so many flatbreads?”

Qin Banban didn’t answer, unusually shy as she smiled.

Cui Lanfang helped explain, “They’re for Sanxi. He’s leaving tomorrow to escort goods and will be traveling far. Banban prepared some provisions for him.”

The elder brother’s alarm bells rang. He unconsciously straightened his back, a slight frown forming between his brows.

If it were just about the person, Chen Sanxi was a good man—quiet but kind, hardworking, capable, and ambitious.

Most villagers were content with their humble lives, too afraid to venture even to the town or county, let alone the prefectural city. Yet Chen Sanxi dared to take the risk. In Qin Rongshi’s eyes, that alone made him remarkable.

But when it came to his sister, Qin Rongshi wasn’t too pleased.

Frowning, Qin Rongshi picked up a steamed bun and took a bite.

The buns were filled with finely chopped bitter greens and meat, mixed with wild onions and eggs, seasoned with garlic water, salt, soy sauce, sesame oil, and pepper. They were fragrant and delicious.

Such delicious food, all prepared for Chen Sanxi—Qin Rongshi grew even more displeased!

Qin Rongshi was displeased, Liu Guyu was in good spirits, Qin Banban had something on her mind, and Cui Lanfang was cheerfully oblivious. The family ate their meal, each lost in their own thoughts.

Early the next morning, outside the gates of Jiangning Prefecture.

The rain continued to drizzle, though lighter than the day before. The morning sun emerged, casting a rare sunshower.

Qin Banban had chosen a beautiful outfit—a new dress she had bought the previous month, a bright apricot-yellow embroidered with large golden chrysanthemums. She styled her hair in a fashionable updo, adorned with delicate yellow silk flowers and pearl hairpins, tied with an apricot-yellow ribbon.

With an oval face and delicate eyebrows, she walked through the rain holding a paper umbrella, like a fairy stepping out of an ink-wash painting.

Chen Sanxi was escorting several carts of goods, riding on horseback with over a dozen companions. When he saw Qin Banban approaching, he immediately dismounted and went to meet her.

His comrades behind him whistled and chuckled, exchanging knowing looks and laughing among themselves.

Amidst their teasing, Chen Sanxi walked over somewhat awkwardly, staring at Qin Banban for a long moment before blurting out, “You look really beautiful today.”

Qin Banban: “???”

Realizing his bluntness, Chen Sanxi awkwardly rubbed his nose, averted his gaze, and added, “Wh-why are you here?”

It was a rhetorical question!

He had already guessed Qin Banban would come, which was why he waited at the city gates.

Qin Banban chuckled softly and handed him a bamboo basket she was carrying. Lifting the cloth covering, she showed him the provisions she had prepared. “I brought you some food for the journey.”

“These are flatbreads, these are steamed buns, and these are stuffed with bitter greens and meat. They won’t keep long, so eat them first.”

“This jar contains powdered congee—made from rice and beans, cooked and ground into powder. It can last two or three months! Just mix it with hot water when you want to eat it, like porridge. It’s convenient for when you can’t prepare a proper meal on the road.”

“I made plenty. If you can’t finish it, share it with your companions.”

Chen Sanxi took the basket and murmured, “I’ll finish it.”

He carefully stored the provisions in the cart, then glanced back at Qin Banban and said, “I’m off. When I reach Langzhou, I’ll ask around for grape seedlings for you.”

Qin Banban nodded, watching as Chen Sanxi mounted his horse but hesitated to leave.

He turned back to look at her again, hesitating for a long moment before saying, “Banban, when I return this time, there’s something I want to tell you.”

Qin Banban smiled and nodded at him. “Go on, be careful on the road.”

With her words, Chen Sanxi finally tugged the reins and rejoined the escort team. Two of his senior brothers sidled up to him, teasing him with grins.

Chen Sanxi resumed his expressionless demeanor, unaffected by their jokes.

“Let’s move out.”

He checked the escort flags, spurred his horse, and tugged the reins to set off.

Before leaving, he glanced back one more time at Qin Banban. She stood under the morning glow, holding her umbrella, her bright apricot-yellow dress radiant and striking.

She truly looked beautiful today.