At first it was gentle, like spring water slowly pushing a small boat, but gradually it began to surge, with huge waves bursting out one after another... Gu Fengyan was ripe, like a peach, and with one bite, juice would overflow.
It's so sweet it's addictive.
In a daze, Gu Fengyan felt as if he were being tossed and turned on the back of a wild horse, swaying and staggering, until he reached the horizon and chased the long wind.
The clouds were damp, and water dripped down in a drizzling sound.
The night was both so long and so short.
Dongfulou opened a branch in the neighboring county. The day of its opening was the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month. Firecrackers were set off from one end of the street to the other, creating a festive atmosphere.
Just in time for the Laba Festival, Manager Li decided to serve Laba porridge in the new building, offering it free to guests and building a reputation for the new building's completion.
As business partners, Gu Fengyan and Huo Duan were naturally invited. Coincidentally, Huo's father went back to the village to visit the Ye family. The two of them had nothing to do at home all day. Gu Fengyan loved excitement, so after discussing it, they packed their clothes and valuables and arrived in the neighboring county on the afternoon of the day before Laba Festival.
When Manager Li heard that Gu Fengyan was also coming, he prepared the best room in advance, with a heater in the room and some appetizing and refreshing dishes for pregnant women.
Upon seeing Gu Fengyan, Manager Li beamed with joy, his face full of affection. "The journey must be long, Mr. Gu. Come in and warm up... I haven't had a chance to congratulate you in person yet."
The group entered the building, where the decor and furnishings were very elegant. Waiters were tidying up and tidying up, so they went up to a private room on the second floor.
"Manager Li was very kind last time to send those things. We'll take Jianjian to thank him in person after he's born," Gu Fengyan said with a smile, as he untied his cloak and hung it up.
Today he wore a red padded jacket, which made his complexion look very good.
"Jianjian?" Manager Li ordered tea and some snacks and fruits to be served. "Is that the child's nickname?"
Gu Fengyan lowered his eyes and nodded.
"That's a really good name. I'll come and ask for some wine then," Manager Li praised.
The two readily agreed.
Huo Duan poured water for Gu Fengyan and placed a plate of his favorite snacks on it.
"Where is Master Zhao?" he asked.
Manager Li sighed, "The kitchen is busy, let's ignore it." After thinking for a moment, he added, "Oh, right, there seems to be a temple fair in the county today. If you two find it boring, you can go and take a look."
"Why would there be a temple fair at this time of year?" Huo Duan asked.
Shopkeeper Li explained with a smile, "It's not some great deity we worship. It's just a local deity unique to this county. It's said to be a minor local god who blesses people with health, prosperity, and peace."
"That's not a big deal. The main thing is that there's a lantern festival in the evening, and general stores from all over the country are open along the river. The entertainers are really interesting." He said, getting up to take his leave. "I have some things to do. Please make yourselves at home. If you need anything, just ask the shopkeeper to arrange it."
Manager Li left, and Gu Fengyan, who was very interested in the temple fair, stared eagerly at Huo Duan.
"We've been traveling all day, and Manager Li's talk during the day wasn't very interesting. Why don't you go and get some sleep? I'll take you to see the lanterns tonight," Huo Duan said helplessly.
Gu Fengyan nodded happily like a child, ate a few pastries, drank the tea that Huo Duan poured for him, and then got up and walked to the bedside... He stopped halfway and turned to look at Huo Duan, "Jianjian said that he wants two fathers to hold him while he sleeps."
Huo Duan was both amused and exasperated, finding him quite amusing. He chuckled and asked, "Who thinks more, Jianjian or Ayan?"
Gu Fengyan smiled like a fox basking in the sun, but said nothing.
"Come here, let me take off your clothes." Huo Duan had no choice but to stand up and beckon him.
A note from the author:
Thank you, Sangjiu Baby, for the nutrient solution (stickers)
Chapter 67
Someone will grow old with him in this life.
I slept for a short while. The room faced the street, and people going to the lantern festival passed by below, looking after each other and chatting happily. In the distance, I could faintly hear the sound of gongs and drums.
Huo Duan hadn't slept much, and opened his eyes at this moment. Gu Fengyan stirred in his arms and hummed softly.
"What's wrong?" Huo Duan brushed aside his disheveled hair. "It's still early, I'll call you later."
"My stomach is upset, and Jianjian keeps moving around." Gu Fengyan frowned, groggily pulling Huo Duan's hand to stroke his protruding belly.
The warmth of my palms seemed to have a calming effect... and the baby inside me actually calmed down.
Huo Duan rolled over and pulled out a soft cushion to put under Gu Fengyan's side. "This will be more comfortable. I'll coax Jianjian to sleep."
His palm never left her, stroking her gently.
Gu Fengyan buried her head in his arms and dozed off for a while.
Once the lights were lit outside, Huo Duan woke Gu Fengyan up and had the waiter bring him food. The dishes were all mild and nourishing... Chef Zhao's cooking was excellent, and the food looked tempting.
The two ate before getting dressed and going out. The locals attached great importance to this temple fair; colorful lanterns were hung in front of shops and houses, and fragrant herbs were placed on doorways. Even the naughty children on the roadside were dressed more quickly than usual.
A group of children carrying lanterns rushed towards the riverbank. Huo Duan quickly pulled Gu Fengyan inside to protect him, afraid that these little brats would cause trouble.
"Watch your step, are you cold?" There was still some snow on the roadside from time to time, and the wind was chilly.
Gu Fengyan rubbed the tips of his ears. "You're almost wrapped up like a dumpling, what's there to feel cold about?"
Calling him a zongzi (sticky rice dumpling) is no exaggeration. Before leaving, Huo Duan was afraid he would get cold, so he picked out the thickest winter clothes for him and wrapped him in a fine fox fur cloak. He kept the hand warmer inside the cloak and wouldn't let him take it off for a moment.
The clothes were red, the cloak was dark red, and only the velvety white fox fur around the edge of the hood trembled in the cold wind.
Gu Fengyan's snow-white face contrasted sharply with her red clothes, which were thickly dressed, making her belly protrude. From a distance, she looked like a long-legged sugar snowball.
Huo Duan chuckled and tugged at his collar. "Want some sugar snowballs?"
The roadside vendors were selling candied hawthorn skewers and candied hawthorn balls... which actually suited Gu Fengyan quite well.
After her morning sickness subsided, Gu Fengyan, who was always talking non-stop, nodded quickly when asked, "It's not that I want to eat it... it's that your baby wants to eat it."
"This stuff is cold in nature, so it's best to eat it sparingly." Huo Duan paid for a bag of it and handed it to Gu Fengyan with a bamboo skewer stuck to his lips. He was afraid Gu Fengyan would overeat it, so he couldn't hand over the bag. "I'll keep the rest for you. You can eat it when you get home."
Gu Fengyan didn't say anything unexpectedly, but looked at him with wide eyes and said, "Try it, it's quite sweet."
Under the lamplight, she looked more and more beautiful. Gu Fengyan's rosy lips glistened with moisture, making Huo Duan's heart itch.
"Really... then I'll try it." He raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly as he leaned closer to Gu Fengyan.
With a light touch of the lips and a flick of the tongue, the flavor was savored.
Then, in an extremely harsh tone, he commented, "So-so."
Having taken advantage of them and still being so rude, Gu Fengyan was so angry she jumped up and down, "Which one isn't sweet?"
"None of them are sweet." Huo Duan snorted twice, a smile playing on his lips.
Gu Fengyan grabbed him and hit him, "I think you need to be taught a lesson..."
The two of them acted like elementary school students, bickering and making noise, which drew quiet, harmless laughter from those around them.
As night deepened, the lively atmosphere along the river reached its peak. The final activity was releasing hibiscus, lotus, and water lily lanterns onto the lake, with candles placed in the center of each lantern. These lanterns floated along the river, creating a beautiful scene.
The crowd was so large that Gu Fengyan and Huo Duan were almost squeezed into a meat pie.
Thinking of the baby in her belly, Huo Duan picked Gu Fengyan up high and used his height advantage to squeeze to the riverbank.
The people behind kept pushing and shoving. Below the steps was the cold river water. Huo Duan had no choice but to grab the railing and mark out a space, trapping Gu Fengyan inside. "Quick, Ayan."
Gu Fengyan placed the hibiscus lantern into the water, before he could even say a few auspicious words... Countless fireworks burst in the sky, reflecting on the river surface like a galaxy.
The crowd sighed, looking up at the brocade woven from countless sparks.
Seeing that his gaze was fixed on him, Huo Duan straightened up and picked him up so that he could see him more clearly. "Do you want to see?"
Gu Fengyan smiled, shook his head, and looked up... Just then, the second wave of fireworks burst open.
He stood on tiptoe, hooked his arm around Huo Duan's neck, and kissed him.
Huo Duan was stunned.
As the firelight in the sky gradually died down, Gu Fengyan released Huo Duan, raising an eyebrow with a smile, "Sweet?"
At this moment, the crowd gradually calmed down and resumed pushing and shoving.
"Sweet." Huo Duan chuckled a few times, then picked up Gu Fengyan in one scoop. "So sweet."
As expected, Gu Fengyan didn't get up the next day. He asked Huo Duan to convey his apologies to Manager Li and the others, then wrapped himself in his blanket and went back to sleep.
The gongs and drums resounded all day, and the firecrackers, combined with the large number of guests for the Laba Festival, created a lively and festive atmosphere, almost on par with the Lunar New Year.
Huo Duan came to show his support. After standing outside for a while, he asked someone to prepare some light and nourishing dishes and pastries, which he then took back to his room.
After waking Gu Fengyan and the other two to eat, and with no one disturbing them upstairs, they looked out the window at the crowd below, where a long queue had formed.
Huo Duan came here partly to support Dongfulou, and partly to take Gu Fengyan out for a stroll. Now that they had been to the temple fair and Dongfulou's new store was completed and on track, there was no point in staying any longer. So Huo Duan took Gu Fengyan around and bought some local specialties... mostly funny gadgets and new foods, and then slowly returned to Qianmo County.
This trip took seven or eight days, and when I came back I went to pick up Uncle Huo. Before I knew it, it was almost the end of the year, and there were only about ten days left until Lunar New Year's Eve.
The wind and snow had been blowing for five or six days, but the sky finally cleared up. The sky was clear, with wisps of clouds, and the sun shone on the snow, which melted into water and dripped down the eaves like rain chains.
A timely snowfall promises a bountiful harvest, and everyone's faces are filled with joy. The lanterns, adding to the festive atmosphere, give everyone something to look forward to.
After hibernating for five or six days, Gu Fengyan was finally allowed to come out and bask in the sun. He was all bundled up like a dumpling and played chess with Huo Duan in the small garden pavilion.
They were playing Gomoku (Five in a Row).
The two more sophisticated individuals simply don't know how.
"Hey, I won!" Gu Fengyan used his cheating skills to wipe out the black pieces, and happily picked them back one by one.
The stove was warm and cozy, with two sweet potatoes and some roasted chestnuts roasting along its edge.
Huo Duanle smiled, picked one up with the fire tongs, and held it in his hand with the snow paper as a backdrop. "Ayan is really amazing. I'm completely convinced."
Peel off the brown skin, and the sweet potato is roasted until it's dripping with honey, glistening golden in the sunlight.
The fragrance lured Gu Fengyan closer and closer to Huo Duan.
"This is hot, go eat the chestnuts first." Huo Duan couldn't help but chuckle.
Gu Fengyan pulled the blanket over and moved the nest over, then rubbed her head against Huo Duan's arm, saying, "You peel it for me."
From the moment his belly grew bigger, Huo Duan did everything himself... bathing, dressing, combing hair, washing face, and even eating, he wanted to do it himself.
Gu Fengyan is really spoiled. She clings to Huo Duan like she has no bones and loves to act cute.
He had a unique skill in being coquettish: his eyes would be filled with tenderness and affection, and he would nuzzle his head against hers like a raccoon... If that didn't work, he would push her onto Jianjian, since there was a layer of skin between them, and he couldn't object.
Huo Duan figured out the pattern and knew that he needed something from him again.
She placed the sweet potato on a small porcelain plate, started peeling chestnuts for him, and smiled indulgently, "What are you trying to do this time?"