Hibiscus as a Painting

Chapter 177

As the two stepped out of the house, a four-dish meal and a soup were already prepared on the stone table in the courtyard. Cheng Qingsong sat at the table, looking at the two with an ambiguous expression, and said with a smile, "I'm in a very good mood today, so I specially prepared medicinal cuisine. Won't you come and try some?"

Zi Jin was overjoyed and pulled Xiao Bai to the table: "Master..."

"Stop talking nonsense. If you don't eat it now, it will get cold and lose its medicinal effect," Cheng Qingsong said impatiently.

Zi Jin smiled and pulled Xiao Bai down to sit, saying softly, "Xiao Bai, eat quickly, eat more."

Cheng Qingsong looked like he "couldn't stand it" and picked up his chopsticks to eat.

Zi Jin ate a piece of wild mushroom, then squinted her eyes and picked up a few more pieces, putting them into Xiao Bai's bowl: "It's delicious, try it."

Xiao Bai ate the food that Zi Jin had given him, his eyes filled with joy.

Cheng Qingsong muttered something under his breath and slammed the chopsticks down beside him.

Zi Jin tilted her head and looked at Cheng Qingsong: "Is Master jealous?"

"Jealous?! I can't help but feel like a carefree wanderer..."

“Master, you should eat too.” Zi Jin then placed a piece of wild mushroom in Cheng Qingsong’s bowl. “Master is overworked, so you should eat more.”

Overjoyed, Xiao Bai saw Zi Jin put the wild mushrooms from her chopsticks into Cheng Qingsong's bowl, pouted in dissatisfaction, and glanced at Cheng Qingsong.

Cheng Qingsong stroked his beard with satisfaction, picked up his chopsticks, and snorted, "At least you have some filial piety. If it weren't for this idiot, would I have had to eat dry steamed buns with you for three months?"

Zi Jin was slightly taken aback: "Hmm?"

Cheng Qingsong stared intently at Zi Jin with his beady eyes: "Where did you learn all that I taught you! You can't handle tonics! You can't handle tonics! If I were to give you tonics then, you'd have to be alive to take them! You need to be more careful with the tonics you give him every day."

Zi Jin sighed inwardly. Sure enough, concern makes one lose focus. How could she not have thought of such a simple truth? She picked up a bamboo shoot and placed it in Cheng Qingsong's bowl with a forced smile: "Master, you've worked hard."

Cheng Qingsong hummed in agreement, clearly enjoying the response.

Xiao Bai pursed her pink lips, watching as the food from Zi Jin's chopsticks fell into Cheng Qingsong's bowl again. Then she lowered her eyes again, her long eyelashes concealing her emotions, and whispered something, but unfortunately, neither Zi Jin nor Cheng Qingsong heard her.

After dinner, Zi Jin squatted by the well to wash the dishes, with Xiao Bai clinging tightly to her clothes and squatting behind her. Zi Jin turned around and saw Xiao Bai's silver hair dragging on the ground. She wiped her wet hands on her robe and lifted the silver hair, saying, "Go inside and sit for a while, or your legs will hurt again."

"Wait... Little Purple." Little White whispered, resting her head on Zi Jin's back.

Zi Jin smiled and draped her floor-length silver hair over herself: "Master told me to go to the bamboo forest. You can take a nap at home this afternoon."

Xiao Bai closed her eyes, a slight smile playing on her lips, and leaned against Zi Jin's back: "Let's go together."

Zi Jin placed the washed bowls on the stone platform, shielding Xiao Bai with one hand. The two stood up, and Zi Jin patted the dirt off Xiao Bai's silver hair: "Listen to me, you didn't sleep much last night, your leg must still be hurting, it's chilly outside..."

Xiao Bai opened her eyes, her pink lips pressed tightly together: "Xiao Zi was tired last night too, so she didn't go to the bamboo forest... Old man, this is bad."

Zi Jin blushed slightly and gently pinched Xiao Bai's cheek: "I didn't realize you'd learned to talk badly about people. Master is only doing this for my own good. Go and get some sleep, Master said he'll cook something delicious tonight."

Xiao Bai gripped Zi Jin's robe tightly, a hint of grievance in her eyes: "Let's go together, Xiao Zi won't leave me behind."

Zi Jin sighed softly, "Okay, let's go together. I'll go get my things."

In the bamboo grove, Cheng Qingsong sat leaning against a rock, with a white jade zither five steps away. He looked up and saw Zi Jin carrying two quilts with a child following behind, and his face immediately darkened.

“Master…” Zi Jin called out timidly.

Cheng Qingsong, stroking his beard, looked at Xiaobai behind Zi Jin: "I told you to come alone! Alone! Alone! Don't you know what 'alone' means?!"

Zi Jin chuckled and said ingratiatingly, "I know, I know. Our master is a lawless and carefree hermit, so he certainly wouldn't bother with such trivial matters for us juniors."

Xiao Bai hid behind Zi Jin, peeking out half her face. She secretly rolled her eyes, glanced at Cheng Qingsong, and then hid back inside.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Qingsong's expression softened considerably. He pointed to Bai Yuqin, who was five steps away, and said, "Um! Well, today we're going to learn the zither. Go sit over there."

Zi Jin, who had prepared herself to split bamboo and fetch water, beamed with joy upon hearing that it was time to play the zither. She carried a quilt to the zither and placed it beside it. Zi Jin took off her shoes and sat down, patting the quilt beside her. Little White, beaming with delight, lay down on it. Zi Jin covered Little White with the remaining quilt, gently patting it. Little White contentedly nestled on Zi Jin's lap.

Zi Jin looked up again and saw Cheng Qingsong's old face, which was even blacker than the bottom of a pot: "Hehe, Master, let's begin."

Cheng Qingsong pointed at Zi Jin, trembling for a long time before finally catching his breath: "You idiot! This fool has you completely under his thumb! Do you think he's really stupid?!"

Xiao Bai opened her eyes, glanced at Cheng Qingsong lightly, then turned around and hugged Zi Jin's waist: "Xiao Zi... sleepy."

Zi Jin sat up straight to make Xiao Bai more comfortable, and patted him gently: "Sleep for a while, I'll wake you up when it's time to eat."

Cheng Qingsong suddenly stood up, threw an unidentified object at Zi Jin, and turned to walk towards the bamboo house: "Get the first volume out of me within three days! Otherwise... humph!"

Zi Jin reached out and caught it, slowly unfolding it to reveal a musical score. She smiled confidently and said, "Understood."

Cheng Qingsong suddenly turned around: "Hmph! Don't be too happy yet!"

Zi Jin placed the sheet music down, smiled slightly, and raised her hand to touch the zither, but felt a sharp pain: "Hiss..."

Xiao Bai suddenly stood up, snatched Zi Jin's finger that had been scratched by the zither strings, and put it in her mouth without thinking.

Zi Jin stared blankly at Xiao Bai for a while before remembering to pull her finger away, but Xiao Bai wouldn't let go no matter what. Zi Jin didn't dare to exert any force, so she could only let him hold it in his mouth: "It's okay..."

After a while, Xiaobai took her finger out, looked at the wound again, and gently licked it: "Xiaozi, it hurts."

"No...it doesn't hurt. Not at all..." The tingling sensation in her fingers made Zi Jin feel dizzy for a moment.

Xiao Bai put down Zi Jin's fingers, frowned at the zither, and curiously leaned closer. Before Zi Jin could stop her, Xiao Bai's hand touched the zither, instantly cutting a clean gash across four fingers. Zi Jin's heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly grabbed Xiao Bai's hand, quickly pulled out a bottle from her pocket, and used the powder to cover the wound, stopping the bleeding immediately: "Why were you so reckless?"

Little White frowned, looked at her fingers, and said with a wronged expression, "It... bullied me... Little Purple..."

Zi Jin felt both heartache and anxiety, and quickly coaxed, "Yes, yes, it's its fault. Don't bother with it anymore." She carefully bandaged Xiao Bai's wound with a handkerchief and gently coaxed, "Xiao Bai, sleep for a while, and I'll take care of it."

Xiao Bai glared at the zither with some resentment, then turned and lay down on Zi Jin's lap, wrapping her arms around her waist and whispering, "It hurts, Xiao Zi... use your fingers harder, play it..."