Meister der Mehrdeutigkeit

Kapitel 71

After finally finishing her fuss, Xiaoxiao immediately got up, quickly opened the door, and fled the guest room.

Lian Zhao was standing outside the door. When he saw her come out, he smiled slightly.

Xiao Xiao was stunned. Lian Zhao had changed out of his plain clothes and into casual home attire. The Lian family valued martial arts, and his dark green robe, with its narrow sleeves and cinched waist, was presumably for ease of riding and archery. His hair was carefully tied up, adorned with a jade pendant. His attire made Xiao Xiao think of words like "elegant gentleman," "handsome and refined," and "extraordinary." However, while she usually boasted and made up stories without thinking, she was now speechless, completely dumbfounded.

Lian Zhao looked at him and smiled, "The sleeves of your clothes are a bit long..."

Xiao Xiao then came to her senses and looked at the clothes she was wearing. These were given to her by her maid, who said they were specially prepared for her. However, because of her petite frame, the clothes were still a little too big.

"It would be better to have someone come and tailor-make it to your specifications." Lian Zhao glanced at the group of maids watching the commotion and said, "Don't any of you have any work to do?"

The maids giggled and said, "Young master, the peonies in the back garden are in full bloom. You must take the young mistress to see them!"

Lian Zhao nodded and said to Xiao Xiao, "Let's go, I'll show you around."

Xiao Xiao was pushed and shoved by the maid, and she caught up with Lian Zhao's pace.

Xiao Xiao watched Lian Zhao's retreating figure and walked quietly. Lian Zhao slowed his pace, waiting for her to reach his side before matching her pace and walking alongside her.

"To see the peonies?" he asked.

"Huh? Whatever..." Xiao Xiao replied.

Lian Zhao smiled and said, "Well... my room is just ahead."

Xiao Xiao suddenly stopped in her tracks and said, "My master said that girls shouldn't just go into men's rooms!" Xiao Xiao looked serious and righteous.

Lian Zhao was stunned, staring at her with wide eyes, speechless.

Little Xiao chuckled mischievously, about to add a few more words. Suddenly, she heard a soft, melodious "Meow~"

A cat? Turning around slightly, I saw a calico tortoiseshell cat crouching behind me.

Lian Zhao laughed, walked over, picked up the cat, and said, "How did you know I was back?"

The cat let out a lazy meow, nuzzled its head against his neck, and purred contentedly.

Xiao Xiao looked at the person and the cat and laughed, "Your cat?"

"Hmm," Lian Zhao said, gently stroking the cat.

As Xiao Xiao approached, she saw the cat squinting at her. She reached out and gently stroked the cat's head. The cat closed its eyes and offered no resistance.

"Is it asleep?" Xiaoxiao asked, looking at the cat that was not moving.

There was a hint of sadness in Lian Zhao's smile. "Perhaps it's getting old... It sleeps for long periods of time and doesn't move around much..."

Xiao Xiao was silent for a moment, then picked up the cat's paw and asked with a smile, "What's its name?"

Lian Zhao frowned slightly, hesitated, and said, "...Hua Hua."

"Hua Hua?" Xiao Xiao blinked, then laughed. Well, who would have thought that the cat of the prestigious Lian family would have such a name?

Lian Zhao began, "I was young back then, so the name I chose was a bit too simple..."

"Not at all, Young Master, the name you chose is truly remarkable and unforgettable!" Xiao Xiao clapped her hands, suppressing a laugh.

"Isn't it funny?" Lian Zhao looked at her and said with dissatisfaction.

Xiao Xiao laughed again, "Hua Hua..."

"..." Lian Zhao was speechless.

Just then, a calm male voice rang out, "Lian Zhao?"

Lian Zhao looked up and smiled, "Uncle."

Xiao Xiao turned around and saw a man around forty years old walking slowly towards her. Xiao Xiao suddenly felt a chill run through her body. The man had a hideous scar over his eye, and judging from his movements, he was clearly blind.

She clearly remembered Lian Zhao saying these words: "...Seventeen years ago, the Ghost Master broke into the Lian family. Many died trying to stop him. My uncle also went blind because of it..."

After exchanging a few pleasantries with the man, Lian Zhao introduced Xiao Xiao, saying, "Xiao Xiao, this is my uncle-in-law."

The man smiled and said, "Zhu Chenyan, Miss Zuo, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Xiao Xiao couldn't utter a word, she just stared blankly into his eyes. A scar ran from right to left, across his eyes. The person who injured him clearly hadn't held back at all. And that person, could it be her master?

"Miss Zuo?" Zhu Chenyan asked again when he heard her silence.

Xiao Xiao unconsciously took a few steps back, "Uh... nice to meet you..."

Zhu Chenyan smiled slightly and said, "I won't disturb you any longer."

After he finished speaking, he walked away.

Xiao Xiao watched him leave. He walked slowly, and every now and then he would reach out and lightly touch the wall.

"Xiaoxiao, what's wrong?" Lian Zhao asked, puzzled, seeing her staring intently.

She turned her head slightly and said, "Ah? It's nothing... your uncle's eyes..."

Lian Zhao's expression hardened. After a moment of silence, he said, "The old injury is nothing serious now..."

At that moment, Xiao Xiao remembered another sentence he had said: "...Although I was young at the time and didn't remember it, this debt must be settled with the 'Ghost Master'..."

She couldn't describe how she felt at that moment; all she felt was a growing sense of oppression in her chest.

"By the way..." Lian Zhao changed the subject, saying, "Xiaoxiao, what do you like to eat?"

"Huh?" Xiao Xiao said, "I eat everything."

Lian Zhao looked somewhat troubled. "There must be some people you particularly like, right?"

Xiao Xiao thought for a moment, then said, "An egg."

"Eggs?" Lian Zhao laughed. "Okay."

Xiao Xiao's smile froze; she didn't know what to do.

...

Later that evening, dinner was served at the Lian residence. On the table stood a plate of scrambled eggs. To the left and right were steamed shad, stir-fried shrimp, Dongpo pork, and steamed chicken with wine… This plate of scrambled eggs looked utterly out of place. Xiao Xiao stood before the table, unsure what to say.

"Miss Zuo, please sit down," Lian Yi said with a smile as he sat in the main seat.

She smiled slightly and sat down somewhat stiffly.

Madam Lian sat beside Xiao Xiao and, seeing her stiff expression, smiled and said, "I don't know if these dishes suit your taste... Zhao'er, that child, didn't even ask clearly beforehand, just said eggs. There are countless ways to cook eggs. Even the head chef in the kitchen is stumped..."

Lian Zhao complained somewhat awkwardly, "I've never cooked before, how would I know these things..."

After hearing this, Madam Lian shook her head, "Xiaoxiao, just make do with this for now..."

"Ha, sister-in-law, are you asking Xiaoxiao to make do with these scrambled eggs, or to make do with Zhao'er?" Lian Ying laughed.

Madam Lian was slightly surprised and said, "Of course it's scrambled eggs!"

“Oh…” Lian Ying responded, but her voice clearly carried a profound meaning.

At that moment, the maids attending to them on both sides burst into laughter.

Lian Yi coughed a few times and said, "Everyone is hungry, let's start eating."

The laughter stopped abruptly, and everyone picked up their chopsticks and began to eat.

Xiao Xiao sat quietly, observing the people at the table. Madam Lian frowned and complained softly to Lian Yi. Lian Yi sighed and gently reminded Lian Ying beside him. Lian Ying, however, seemed oblivious, continuing to eat. Zhu Chenyan, sitting to Lian Ying's left, smiled faintly, remaining noncommittal. To Zhu Chenyan's left, Lian Zhao still showed some dissatisfaction, while Lian Yu beside him comforted him with a smile.

"Xiaoxiao, why aren't you eating?" Lian Zhao asked when he saw that she wasn't eating.

Xiao Xiao snapped out of her reverie, picked up her chopsticks, and said, "I'm thinking about which dish to eat first!" She glanced at the table and then reached for the plate of scrambled eggs.

Suddenly, the whole table fell silent.

Her small hand froze, utterly bewildered. Following everyone's gaze, she looked at her own hand. Her chopsticks were crossed, her index finger slightly raised. She had been scolded by many for holding chopsticks like that—it was utterly rude and unseemly. Helpless, she had only tried to imitate others. Little did she expect that today, she would inadvertently reveal her true nature?

She timidly raised her head and looked at the crowd.

“Brother, look…” Lian Yu suddenly spoke up, saying seriously, “I’m not the only one who holds chopsticks like this.”

Xiao Xiao was stunned and turned to look at Lian Zhao.

Lian Zhao was somewhat embarrassed and speechless.

"Hehe, of course you're not the only one," Lian Ying said. "Your older brother used to hold chopsticks like that when he was little too." She turned to look at Lian Yi, "And you, older brother... actually..."

"Ahem!" Lian Yi interrupted, displeased. "Why bother with all that formalities? Back in the day, when we were guarding the border, we ate with our hands, didn't we?"

Lian Ying sighed, "Reminiscing about the old days again?...Tsk, these shrimp are pretty good, they'll get cold if we don't eat them!"

"Yes, it won't taste good when it's cold!" Madam Lian picked up her chopsticks and agreed.

"Ying'er, don't just eat meat..." Zhu Chenyan said.

"Hey? You can't see it, how would you know I only eat meat?" Lian Ying said, dissatisfied.

Zhu Chenyan said, "No need to look. We can guess."

"You..." Lian Ying was slightly angry, and suddenly picked up a large piece of meat and put it into Zhu Chenyan's bowl. "Then you shouldn't just eat vegetables. Men should eat more meat!"

The dinner table immediately became lively, and no one paid any attention to the little girl holding her chopsticks.

Xiao Xiao smiled, picked up a piece of scrambled eggs with her chopsticks, and put it in her mouth. The fragrant and delicious taste made her smile unconsciously. But in her heart, she became more and more uneasy.

Xiao Xiao remembers that when she was fifteen years old, one evening during dinner, her master looked at her and sighed several times.

So, holding her rice bowl, she said with dissatisfaction: Master, even if the food I make is not good, you don't have to sigh like this.

The master smiled, picked up a bite of food and put it in his mouth, saying: It's not that your food is bad, it's just that I suddenly remembered that you've reached the age where you should get married.

Upon hearing that, Xiaoxiao, who had been threatening to use Doufu, slammed her chopsticks on the table. Her eyes widened, and she exclaimed, "What? Getting married?"

The master nodded seriously: Yes. A woman should marry when she comes of age. Do you intend to cling to your master for the rest of your life?

She took a small bite of the chopsticks and said, "Is that not allowed?"

The master shook his head and laughed: "When you meet the man you like, you'll realize how silly you were just now."

Xiao Xiao looked up and sighed, "Master, with you as such a gem, I'm afraid I won't find a better man than you..."

Without hesitation, the master tapped her on the head with his chopsticks, saying, "You've got some nerve, daring to joke about your master! You're asking for it!"

She covered her head slightly, looking mournful.

The master sighed and said, "A daughter is like a tree that cannot be kept at home. One day, you will meet a man you love. At that time, I don't know where I will be ranked."

Xiao Xiao blinked her eyes and asked: "What kind of love is it?"

The master touched his forehead and sighed. But gradually, his eyes became slightly desolate. He smiled and looked up, saying: If one day, your master hurts him, and you resent and hate me for it, then so be it.