Chapter 134 My Mourning Period Is Over Finally
One afternoon in the first lunar month, the light snowing just stopped. Someone had swept the snow on the ground into a circle, and put grain on the ground for attracting birds. However, it did not last for a minute for the birds to enjoy their meal. A white flash rushed toward one of the birds. After getting one, the flash ran away quickly, which scared the rest of the birds who flew into the sky immediately!
“Go and get him!” said Qiu Yelan, who was sitting near the window and practicing writing. She stopped writing and commanded her maid Su He who was helping her with rubbing an ink stick on an ink slab. “I think that the birds might not have enough food for the winter. So, I asked them to splash grain on the ground. I did not mean to put the birds in danger as the food of this naughty cat!”
Su He held back a laugh and walked out of the room. She called “Whitey” in a clear voice. In a second, a snow-white with smooth fur Persian cat ran toward her. It licked the blood from the corner of its mouth with satisfaction and followed Su He into the room.
Whitey was an adult cat now. It was big and its destruction desire increased with its size. It made trouble almost every day. However, its white fur and bright eyes were just like her owner. It begged forgiveness once it made trouble. Because of this, it was still favored among the people.
The cat might notice that Su He, the one loved it the most, was there. It intentionally ignored Qiu Yelan’s anger by giving her a “Meow” gently and then climbed to the short stool, and then tried to jump to the higher table. Qiu Yelan looked at the stool it stepped furiously, “Hey, did you wipe your feet with the new weaving carpet at the door? It is a new one we just put days ago!”
We knew that cats loved being clean. If no one helped them with cleaning, they would clean themselves up… But when they were cleaning themselves, they would not consider where they were or what they were using. Seeing Qiu Yelan being angry, Su He immediately begged her forgiveness for the cat, “I think Whitey might be afraid that he would soil your stool…”
“Because you spoil him so much, you see what he did!” Qiu Yelan said with anger. “Now, go and get a maid to change the carpet. It’s your responsibility!”
Su He immediately realized that Qiu Yelan had forgiven the cat. “The meat soup cooked by Mrs. Li must be ready now. I’ll go and get it for you, Your Grace?” said Su He with a smile.
Hearing meat soup, Qiu Yelan stopped writing. She couldn’t help swallowing her mouth water before pretending to be serious, “Well… I don’t think it’s okay. I just had a chicken soup half an hour ago…”
“You have been a vegetarian for the last three years when you were in your mourning period.”
Su He’s words worked. Qiu Yelan felt weak in her heart suddenly. She smiled awkwardly, “This was my duty… Well, you know, my duty…”
“The coming years are the critical time for body growing. Both Mrs. Li and my grandmother said that you must eat well.” Su He said. She knew that Qiu Yelan was eager to bring the meat soup over so she could gobble it up. But she also wanted to save her face at the same time. So, Su He did not put her on the spot, “It’s the first lunar month, you are almost 15. And you will hold coming-of-age ceremony in autumn. If you didn’t eat more, it would be bad because it might affect your health.”
“You do make sense!” said Qiu Yelan seriously. “Both Mrs. Zhou and Mrs. Li have been serving my mother for many years. I should follow what the seniors advise. Go and get the soup. By the way, bring a bottle of Zhuyeqing (an ancient Chinese traditional health wine)!”
Su He angered, “You mean wine? My grandmother and Mrs. Li said a girl should not drink wine…”
Qiu Yelan retorted immediately although she said she would follow the senior’s advice just minutes ago, “It’s cold. I need wine to keep myself warm. You want me to feel cold?”
Su He did not know what to say, looking at her. Qiu Yelan, despite 15 years old, was pretty and charming:
Her body was slender with at least half a head taller than the average girl of this age. Both Mrs. Zhou and Mrs. Li thought that she had a copy face of her father, Qiu Zhongyan; Eyes and faces were exquisite. Her hair on the temple sides demonstrated her personality as a Commandery Princess. Meanwhile, it diluted her charming manner, which always made her seem not to be flirty. She, despite soft and slender, was outgoing and charming.
Her skin was so delicate and white that it gave off a vague sense of transparency. Two years ago, Qiu Yelan was like a flower girl walking under a pear tree. Now she was like a fairy from the tales. Her beauty was not the point. The point was that she had a pure, dust-free, unadulterated aura.
To the point, Su He had been serving her daily life. She had got used to it then.
What she wanted to say was, “Your Grace, you are in good health. You probably don’t feel cold at all.”
Qiu Yelan’s mourning period was over three days ago. She finally took off the mourning dress which she had worn for twenty-seven months. However, she did not wear a bright or colored dress today. She was wearing a narrow-sleeved, pine peony-printed jacket with an inch of water-colored bodice hem, a lotus-hued skirt, and a dark mauve-red brocade belt at the waist. She looked gorgeous even without makeup. Her better spirit fully demonstrated she was well… How could she say she was not well?
Anyway, Su He was reluctant to say such words!
Questioned by her maid, Qiu Yelan gave a look at Whitey, “His dinner…”
“Your Grace, you are mean to me! Why do you always bully Whitey?” pursed Su He, walking toward the kitchen. Since Qiu Yelan realized that Su He treated Whitey better than her, she changed her threatening words from “If you do it again, I will let you marry someone now” to “If you do it again, Whitey won’t have dinner tonight”!
“Looks like you’re still very useful.” said Qiu Yelan with a pleasant smile after seeing Su He going to the kitchen. The cat had lied on the table, looking down at everything in the room. “Okay, you do your job, acting cute and bewitching them! I can bully them through threatening you!”
Whitey did not realize at all that he had been a “cat hostage” of his owner. The cat still wagged his fluffy tail at a leisurely pace. When Qiu Yelan turned her head, looking at somewhere, the cat became alert suddenly and his lazy expression suddenly changed. It pricked up its ears to listen for a while and then loosened up again.
Seeing the cat’s action, Qiu Yelan became alert. She put aside her pen, tiptoed into the inner chamber and walked cautiously towards the back of the screen.
Surely enough, it was Jiang Yashuang standing behind the screen and dusting the snow off his coat. There were two bouquets of plum flowers in his hand. Over the past two years, he became taller and taller. His young age, combined with his muscular body, made himself a mature and stable man.
Seeing she’s coming, he presented the plum flowers to her with a smile. The snow on the flowers was melting rapidly because of the heat in the house. The water was dropping down on the ground.
Realizing it was not right to hand over a girl flowers with dropping water, Jiang Yashuang held the flowers back and said, “I found them in the next yard. I think they are perfect for your yellow glaze pot on your table.”
“What do you want this time?” asked Qiu Yelan. She did not appreciate his courtesy. She rested her hands on her hips and shouted at him in a low voice, “I have told you that don’t come here to bother me!” She waved her fist in front of her, “If my brother knew that you are here, he would kick your ass!” said she.
“I have been fighting with him many times.” said Jiang Yashuang, bypassing her. He entered the inner chamber, picked up the pot freely, and got water from the hand-wash sink. After all things are done, he finally put the plum branches into the pot and got them charmed. He was satisfied with his work. Then he went to the closet, picking out a towel for washing his face up. “See the bruises on my wrist. He did it four days ago.”
“My brother did not get hurt, right? The day you two fought was the day when my mourning period was over. He came over but did not say it.” said she promptly.
Jiang Yashuang’s hand stopped moving in a second. He said jealously, “You worry about him so much. I daren’t hurt him. Over the past years, I was the one who got hurt every time. Did you see him getting hurt once?”
“That’s because you are a loser.” said Qiu Yelan. The fact proved that arguing with her was like abusing oneself. She continued promptly, “My brother’s Kung Fu is awesome. Do you know Master Qiu? He is well-known in his circle but he respected my brother. Definitely, you are a loser in Kung Fu competition with my brother!”
Jiang Yashuang pissed off, but he smiled after hearing her words, “I did not dare to compete with your brother freely. But he used his full strength combating me. He did not get hurt severely. In honest, he might get hurt if I used my full strength. I did not want to anger you.”
“That’s because you have a silk armor?” said Qiu Yelan disdainfully. “As you have it, you can pay scant attention to protecting your body from attacking. You think I don’t know it?”
“This is a protector my father got in the Northern border. Only a few of them were left in the world. In my family, the fourth branch and Yadan are the only one who can have it. My brother given birth by a concubine doesn’t have one. My brother has one because my grandfather thought that he is a troublemaker. He was afraid that my brother might be killed by others one day. As my brother got one. I, as the trueborn son of my father’s, also got one. But it was damaged two years ago. The one I am wearing now is the one of my grandmother.” explained Jiang Yashuang apologetically. “My grandfather and grandmother ordered us to wear it as underwear. We are not allowed to take it off unless we have a bath or something… If I had an extra one, I certainly would give it to your brother.”
Qiu Yelan said dismissively, “Do you think I want to ask one from you?” She just wanted to argue with him for anything. “So, what do you want this time?” asked she.
“My grandmother is cooking bear palm soup. Do you want some?” Jiang Yashuang noticed that she did not want to see him, but he was not angry. “If you want some, I will order my cook to save some for you!”
“Bear palm soup!” questioned Qiu Yelan. Hearing it was delicious, her eyes flashed. She looked at Jiang Yashuang lovely and said in a soft voice, “Yashuang, thank you. You are so kind to me!”
Jiang Yashuang certainly would not miss the chance. He immediately pointed to his cheek.
Qiu Yelan gave him a big kiss. Then she asked, “When can you bring it here?”
“It’s cooking now. It will be okay at dinner time. I will send it here myself.” said Jiang Yashuang in a good mood. He stroked her hair affectionately and said with a smile, “You like it so much. I will save for you more.”
“More means how much?” Qiu Yelan asked without stopping. “Do you have ten bear palms?”
Although Su He informed Jiang Yashuang that Qiu Yelan loved meat dishes very much, but he did not expect she was greedy for it. He was stunned and said, “Ten? You really want ten?” Even a man could not have ten in one meal.
“I just want them even I am full!” said Qiu Yelan without stop. Her words shocked Jiang Yashuang again. It was as if he began to know her again. He sighed and kissed her on her forehead. “Okay. I am going home now. I will ask them to cook more… You want ten, right?”
Qiu Yelan nodded happily. In a second, she said worriedly, “You ask them to cook more suddenly. Will your grandmother doubt it?”
Jiang Yashuang looked at her, “Wow, you are concerned about my grandmother’s reaction now? That year, Marquess Qin’s backyard needed a renovation, which might have been done in half a year. It was my grandmother who required them to postpone the construction repeatedly. Because of this, she has been living in the side yard now. If she had moved back to her place, I would certainly live here. But my grandmother is the cover for me meeting you frequently. Or, after we get married, we will be gossiped for the frequent meeting now.”
“…” Qiu Yelan paused for a second and said, “All right, you don’t need to cook more for me. If your grandmother knew about it, it would be not good…”
Jiang Yashuang lowered his head, pressing his head against hers. “Don’t worry. I will tell her I want to eat… My grandmother loves me always. She won’t care about this!”
Qiu Yelan blinked her eyes and said happily, “As you are my cover, I want twenty! It’s cold now. The food won’t go sour. I will go to visit my brother and his wife tomorrow. I want to take some for them!”
“…” Jiang Yashuang turned to be angry. “You know what. Your brother hurt me days ago. You don’t care about me. Even a little. No. You want me to cook bear palm soup for him? You hurt my feeling!” said he jokingly. This time, he pointed to his thin lips. What he wanted was obvious.
Then Qiu Yelan grabbed him by his ear, saying, “Is it okay or not? Twenty!”
“No problem at all!” Jiang Yashuang was begging. “I promise the number will be more not fewer! I will send it here as soon as it’s done!”
“Ha, ha. You did not want to give me soup. Instead, you just want to harass me!” Qiu Yelan let him go and continued, “Don’t think more. Go and get my bear palm soup!”