Yang Tiange glared at his impatient younger brother and tried to salvage the situation, saying, "But these dishes and snacks are very complicated to make. You only have a short time in Hangzhou, so even if you learn them, you won't master them. What's the point of eating them if they don't taste right? It's better if you stay here together. Given time, at least three to five years, at most eight to ten years, you might learn a little bit. If you want to become a master chef, you might have to spend your whole life. Just like when we study and do academic research, we have to keep learning until we die."
Wu Shuang's mouth gaped open even wider. Her fourth cousin was incredibly eloquent; given time, he was destined for greatness. No wonder he passed the imperial examinations so early in his previous life, even topping the list. It was a pity Wu Shuang passed away so early and couldn't know what Yang Tiange's final achievements were in officialdom.
Yang Tianxing, being older, was more considerate of others' feelings than his two younger brothers. Seeing Wushuang's increasingly strange expression, he was afraid the little girl would start to cry, so he quickly comforted her, saying, "Hangzhou not only has a lot of delicious food, but also many famous historical sites. A month is definitely not enough time to visit. It's a rare opportunity for you to come here, so how can you not have a good time? If you listen to my arrangements and stay a little longer, I guarantee you'll be so happy you won't want to leave."
He began his formal education at the age of four and is about to take the imperial examination for children for the first time this year. Unconsciously, he has become eloquent and uses idioms. After speaking, worried that Xiao Wushuang might not understand, he explained, "It's just that I like it so much that I don't want to leave."
Lady Yang was due to give birth in a little over a month, and if the imperial physician's due date was followed, she might have to give birth on the way back. Therefore, Junshu had planned early on for his wife to stay at her parents' home to give birth in peace, and then return to the capital after the weather turned cool in autumn and both mother and child had recovered.
Whether the sisters Wushuang and Wuxia will stay to accompany their mother or leave with their father is still undecided.
There was nothing wrong with telling her cousins about these things, but when Wushuang saw how eager they were to keep her, she decided to tease them. She pretended to be in a difficult position and said in a coquettish voice, "Shuangshuang... Shuangshuang, don't leave your parents."
Wushuang looks only four years old, and being a girl, it's perfectly normal for her to like clinging to her parents.
Seeing that her ears were drooping and her lips were pouting, looking like she was about to cry, Yang Tianxing was about to say a few more words of comfort when Yang Tiandi rushed over and put his words into action: "I will treat my sister hundreds of times better than my aunt and uncle! I will feed you whatever you want to eat."
On the table was a celadon stew pot that matched the three-piece platter. Yang Tiandi quickly lifted the lid, revealing a light brown soup inside: "This is West Lake lotus root soup, made with freshly picked lotus roots. It can only be found in Hangzhou."
As he spoke, he picked up the stew pot: "I'll help my sister cool it down."
Ambitiousness is commendable, but it is usually impossible for a young child to achieve it immediately.
Although Yang Tiandi had the intention to take meticulous care of Wushuang, he himself was still a child who needed to be taken care of. He was burned and shook his hand as soon as he picked up the stew pot.
With a loud crash, the stew pot fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.
Looking at the pool of soup that could never be eaten again, Yang Tiandi was both anxious and angry. His little face turned red, and he finally couldn't help but jump up and down and cry.
Wushuang raised one eyebrow and covered her eyes in a pitiful state.
She was just joking around with her cousins; she didn't mean to make the child cry...
Joyful celebrations filled the Governor-General's residence in Fujian and Zhejiang, but the treasure ship docked at the pier was empty of people.
In a cabin on the lower deck, Qi Lan, who had been in a coma for many days due to a high fever, slowly opened her eyes.
Chapter 41 | Table of Contents
Chapter 41:
Suddenly waking up, Qi Lan felt her mind go completely blank. [Novel txt download http://W/]
She sat up and began to recall what had happened.
Her memories before jumping into the river were very clear, but after that they were all jumbled up. She was rescued, put on a boat, and then what?
She knew she was sick, and she could feel the pain in her body even when she was unconscious, but how long had she been sick?
The silver ingots and purses obtained from Chu Yao and Wushuang were neatly arranged beside her pillow. Qi Lan picked them up, hesitated for a moment, and then stuffed them into her bosom.
She put on her shoes, walked to the cabin door, and pushed it open. The entire corridor was quiet; there wasn't a soul in sight.
Qi Lan knocked on the doors of the other cabins one by one, but no one answered. One cabin door was unlocked and opened easily with a gentle push. The furniture in the room was similar to that of the one she slept in, only more messy, showing signs that someone had lived there for a long time. However, the open wardrobe was empty, indicating that the person who had lived there had left.
Qi Lan climbed the spiral staircase step by step to the deck, where she finally saw a few lazy sailors.
They told me that the ship had been docked for most of the day, and it was now 3:15 PM. They were in Hangzhou, while the others had already disembarked and gone their separate ways.
"Do you know where the Jun family's daughter went?" Qi Lan asked.
One of the sailors said, "We're only responsible for navigating the ship. There are hundreds of people on board. Who would know their surnames or where they're going?"
Qi Lan was a little dazed.
She had never been to Hangzhou before and had no idea where to find the third daughter of the Jun family. If she failed the mission, what would happen to her younger brother…?
"Miss Qi, why did you run up here all by yourself?" Just as I was getting anxious, I suddenly heard a clear voice behind me.
Qi Lan turned around and saw that the person chasing her was a strange girl around twenty years old. [txt ebook download: Http://wW/]
"Who are you?"
“I’m the doctor who’s been taking care of you these past few days.” She said, reaching out to check Qi Lan’s forehead temperature. “Thankfully, the fever has subsided, but I think you should still stay in the cabin and rest for a couple of days. Don’t go out in the wind.”
"Do you know where the Jun family members have gone?" Qi Lan asked.
The female physician was only assigned to take care of Qi Lan and did not know her true identity. Hearing her question, and having heard from Lu Zhenniang, who had visited Qi Lan before, that Lu Zhenniang was a tutor in the Jun family, she assumed that Qi Lan was also a servant of the Jun family and answered without any concealment: "Isn't Madam Hou the Governor's beloved daughter? They should have gone to the Governor's mansion. But you don't need to worry. Since they want you to stay on the ship, you can rest and recuperate. When we set off back to the capital, they will come aboard."
"When...when are we going to set off back to the capital?" Qi Lan asked again.
"This..." The female physician hesitated, "It might take a month, or it might take longer. I can't say for sure. It depends on His Majesty's decision."
Upon hearing this, Qi Lan turned and ran towards the disembarkation point, ignoring the doctor's desperate cries.
Her brother, her only relative, had his life in someone else's hands. How could she possibly wait on the ship for a month or even longer?
Qi Lan couldn't guess what that young but malicious girl wanted from her, but she knew it couldn't be anything good. Qi Lan didn't want to harm anyone, but the only thing she could do, and had to do, was to follow the girl's orders and save her younger brother's life.
We'll talk about the rest later.
Emperor Deqing, showing consideration for his officials' hard work, allowed them to return home early to rest. When Junshu and his son-in-law Yang Xi returned to the governor's mansion, it was still broad daylight.
Yang Xi wanted to see his granddaughter, so the three Yang brothers reluctantly sent Wushuang back to Huian Hall.
"Come here and let Grandpa take a look." Yang Xi is usually a serious person, but he couldn't put on a stern face when he saw his cute little granddaughter. He smiled kindly and asked to get close to her.
Wushuang took a step forward, intending to rush into her grandfather's arms, but before she could take a step, she felt her clothes get caught, and she stopped abruptly. She turned around and saw Yang Tiandi tugging at her hem, preventing her from leaving.