Yeux charmants

Chapitre 18

The car slowly came to a stop, and Ma Mingyuan got out of the car. Looking back, he saw someone riding a horse. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was Chen Xie.

"Brother Chen, what brings you here?"

Chen Xie dismounted and wiped the fine sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, saying, "There were too many people in front of the gate just now, and I couldn't speak up while standing at the back. Brother Ma, Brother Shu, and my siblings and I have been friends for a long time, so how could I not come to see my friends off in person today?"

"Brother Chen, Third Brother and Sister Qing are here too?" Shu Hong poked his head out of the side window and looked around. He really didn't expect the little devil to come along.

"Okay! I'll ride over first, and my third brother and younger sister will arrive in the carriage behind."

As soon as Chen Xie finished speaking, a van appeared in the three of them's line of sight.

As the car drew near, Chen Xun jumped out, lifted the curtain, and then carried Mu Qing out of the car and placed her on the ground.

"Qing-mei, you've sneaked out! Be careful the old lady punishes you! Hehe!"

As soon as Mu Qing landed, she heard Shu Hong's mischievous voice and felt a pang of regret. That fox was so annoying! How did he guess she'd snuck out and then deliberately blurted it out!

Seeing Mu Qing's slightly pouting lips, Ma Mingyuan helplessly pushed aside the carriage curtain that Shu Hong had lifted and called out, "Shu Hong, stop teasing Qing-mei! Get down!"

As they spoke, Shu Hong got out of the car and bowed to Chen Xun and Chen Xun to express his gratitude. Ma Mingyuan was talkative and exchanged pleasantries with the two Chen brothers. Shu Hong chimed in with a few words, then turned and slightly raised his eyebrows, squinting his fox-like eyes at Mu Qing.

Mu Qing's lips twitched slightly. What kind of look was that? Was there something wrong with the clothes? Mu Qing subconsciously looked her clothes up and down. There were no stains or food residue. Yun Cui had just washed these clothes. She had even made up an advertising slogan: "With Yun Cui, there are no stains!"

A light blue eight-panel pleated skirt, with a matching top over which was a peach-pink brocade jacket embroidered with white plum blossoms. It looked quite nice no matter how you looked at it. The fox's gaze was like that of someone buying livestock at a market; it looked her over thoroughly, almost as if it wanted to pry open her mouth to check her teeth.

Shu Hong was looking at Mu Qing. She hadn't seen him since that meal at the South Courtyard. Today he was leaving, and the little guy was dressed up quite nicely, his rosy cheeks matching his clothes quite well. This little rascal has a conscience; he knew to come see me off. He's worth all the candies I've been saving!

"Brother Shu, what are you laughing at? Is there something dirty on Qing'er's clothes? Where is it?"

"No, no, Brother Shu just thought Qing'er's clothes were pretty today, so he took a second look. Hehe! Did Qing'er come here especially to see Brother Shu off?" Shu Hong smiled smugly and raised his head, ignoring Ma Mingyuan and assuming that Mu Qing had come specifically to see him off.

"That fox is pretty arrogant too!" That was Mu Qing's first reaction upon hearing Shu Hong's words. Although she had only come to thank him for the prescription he gave her mother and to express her gratitude, his question made her feel awkward, and she stopped saying that.

"Yes! Brother Ma suddenly said he had to leave, and Qing'er didn't even have a chance to say goodbye, so I came with the brothers to see him off! Brother Ma, now that you're back in the capital, Qing'er hasn't seen you for so long! Brother Ma won't forget Qing'er, will he!"

After Mu Qing finished speaking, she felt embarrassed, but seeing Shu Hong's awkward expression after his self-delusion, she felt quite pleased.

"How could I? Qing'er is so clever and quick-witted, Brother Ma wouldn't forget her. Tomorrow I'll send someone to bring you some delicious food and trinkets from the capital. When Qing'er has the chance to go to Tokyo in the future, Brother Ma will treat you to a good meal!"

Ma Mingyuan bent down, took a jade pendant from his waist, and handed it to Mu Qing, saying, "That day, Sister Qing taught me how to fish for cicadas, but I didn't give her a thank-you gift. I'm giving it to her before I leave. When you, Brother Chen, and Brother Chen San go to the capital, you must come to my house, and we'll have another good drink together."

"Thank you, Brother Ma!" Mu Qing happily accepted it. Brother Ma was so rich that this little thing was nothing to him, so there was no need to refuse.

Shu Hong stared blankly at the jade pendant in Mu Qing's hand for several moments. This kid dares to give away anything! Now look what's happened! If he gives one away, wouldn't it be embarrassing if he didn't? The little guy will definitely say I'm stingy again!

Shu Hong gritted his teeth, took out a bag from his pocket, reached inside and rummaged around for a while, and took out a porcelain bottle.

"Ahem! I can't compare to Mingyuan's wealth and generosity. He gave you the jade token, but I can't afford to give him that. How about this, I'll give you a bottle of my master's secret-made pills. They may not be of much use to you now, but they are very beneficial to those who are seriously injured and have lost blood. In addition, as long as there are no signs of death, those who are seriously ill and weak can be delayed for a while, although they cannot be cured."

Mu Qing held the small porcelain bottle, her heart filled with emotion. Her eyes seemed to sparkle with colorful bubbles as she looked at Shu Hong. Was this the kind of elixir the fox had given her, similar to the legendary Nine-Turn Resurrection Pill? This priceless item was far more valuable than the jade pendant.

"Brother Shu, you treated Qing'er's mother first, and Qing'er didn't even have a chance to properly thank you! Now you're giving Qing'er such expensive medicine, Qing'er can't accept it!"

Mu Qing gripped the porcelain bottle she had handed back to Shu Hong tightly, thinking to herself, "I'm returning it to you, you fox, but don't take advantage of the situation and take it back!"

Shu Hong didn't miss the reluctant look in Mu Qing's eyes as she held the porcelain bottle. She chuckled to herself, thinking, "This little thing is putting on a brave face. She clearly doesn't want to part with it, but she's still being stubborn!"

Shu Hong, feeling a bit teasing, said with feigned difficulty, "Alas! Perhaps Sister Qing dislikes my medicine? If so, I'll accept it..."

"How could Qing'er possibly refuse! This is a precious treasure from Brother Shu! Brother Shu, please don't be angry, Qing'er will accept it. Thank you, Brother Shu!" Mu Qing smiled like a flower, quickly stuffing the small bottle into the small fish pouch tied to her waist. Afraid that Shu Hong would regret it, she quickly curtsied and thanked Shu Hong.

It was getting late, and Ma Mingyuan and Shu Hong were about to head to the dock. Chen Xun and Chen Xun promised to meet them again in Beijing another day. Before parting, Mu Qing secretly slipped something into Shu Hong's belt, then followed her two brothers to watch Shu Hong and Ma Mingyuan get into the car and leave.

...

As soon as they got in the car, Ma Mingyuan teased Shu Hong, "Getting pills out of you is much harder than getting money out of you. You're really generous today! Are you afraid of losing face in front of people? Hehe!"

Shu Hong rolled her eyes at him. "I wouldn't dare! That bottle of medicine of mine was stolen from the old man; I was just passing it on. It's nothing compared to how generous you, Young Master Ma, are. You casually gave away all the jade tokens in the Ma family shops that could be used to transfer a thousand strings of cash to a little girl. You really treat that girl differently, don't you?!"

"We are both sentimental people, and we just clicked. Besides, who knew that the token could manipulate money? That girl was lovable, so I just wanted to keep her as a memento..." Ma Mingyuan was just thinking that he probably wouldn't have the chance to see that little sugar heart that looked like a pink dumpling again after this trip back, and he felt a little regretful, so he casually gave her an item as a keepsake.

Ma Mingyuan silently looked out the window. Shu Hong nestled into the back of the carriage, reached behind her waist and took out the thing Mu Qing had slipped in before leaving. She held it in her palm; it was a blue purse embroidered with magnolias.

Shu Hong paused slightly, then untied her purse. Inside was a note with a delicate, elegant calligraphy style:

Fox Brother, Qing'er thanks you so much for treating Mother's illness! Mother manages all of Qing'er's monthly allowance, so I haven't had any money to buy you anything nice. Remember you said you'd give your sister a magnolia that never fades? So Qing'er embroidered two for you and the sister in your heart. Finally, remember not to get too moved to tears, because I embroidered the flowers, but I didn't make the purse! Qing'er

Shu Hong folded the note and put it back into her purse. Her right index finger caressed the two magnolia flowers, one white and one purple, on the purse, and a smile appeared on her lips.

Although her embroidery was just average, I didn't expect that she would have such beautiful handwriting at such a young age.

You little rascal, I'll accept this gesture! But you dare call me a fox? You'll be in for a world of hurt next time we meet!

I just don't know when we'll see each other again...

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Chapter Forty-Two: Quail Dumplings and the "Bloodbath"

Ma Mingyuan and Shu Hong's car disappeared on the road in the morning light, and Mu Qing and her two older brothers also set off to return home.

The Grand Canal wharf was located in the north of the city, while the Chen family lived outside Qianhu Gate on the shore of West Lake in the southwest of the city. To return from the north of the city, they either had to walk directly along the city wall to West Lake or wander through the streets and alleys of the city to get back to Qianhu Gate.

Chen Xun complained that the city streets were narrow and crowded, making it inconvenient to move around, and wanted to take the main road outside the city. Mu Qing, however, wanted to see the sights of Hangzhou and kept begging Chen Xun, who was traveling with her. Under Mu Qing's pitiful yet resentful gaze, Chen Xun finally gave in and let Chen Xun ride back outside the city on horseback, while he would drive Mu Qing through the city to see the sights.

"Don't get out of the car, don't lift the curtain, don't peek out..." Chen Xun sat cross-legged by the car door, his hands clasped in front of his chest, frowning and looking at Mu Qing, who was restless inside the car, with a helpless expression.

"You're usually so polite, how come you turn into a monkey the moment you step outside?"

"Third Brother, I've been staying in the courtyard since I came back from Danling. I haven't been out in Hangzhou at all. Good Third Brother, please have pity on Qing'er! It's not easy for her to come out this once. There are fewer people early in the morning, can you let Qing'er take a few more peeks?" Mu Qing bit her lower lip with her little teeth, clutching her clothes, carefully glancing at Chen Xun's expression, and not forgetting to take the opportunity to peek outside a couple of times.

Chen Xun couldn't bear to see Mu Qing's big, pitiful eyes looking at him, red and brimming with tears, like a wounded little rabbit, while he felt like a hunter suffering from a guilty conscience.

"Who said there aren't many people at the morning market? Oh well, I really can't do anything with you! Okay, just for a little while. I'll hold your hand when we get off the bus, but you're not allowed to run around!"

"Okay, Third Brother is the best! Qing'er will listen to you!"

Mu Qing grinned, her chubby cheeks jiggling upwards. The tears that had been brewing in her eyes for so long couldn't be held back and flowed down her cheeks. She was truly crying tears of joy! Mu Qing was secretly delighted. If she could go shopping once, she would go shopping again. When would she be able to stroll around the streets openly and honestly without having to put on such a show?

"Why are you crying? Didn't you already agree? Sigh! If your older brother were here, he would definitely say I'm bullying you. Stop crying!" Chen Xun leaned over and hurriedly wiped away Mu Qing's tears.

Mu Qing slapped Chen Xun's hand away and said angrily, "Qing'er is happy! Third Brother, Qing'er is a girl, don't smear her face with your wolfish claws, it hurts! I'll do it myself!"

Chen Xun then realized his panic and loss of composure, awkwardly withdrew his hand, scratched his head, and coughed twice: "Well! It's good that you're not crying!"

...

The car drove into the bustling city and stopped. Chen Xun carried Mu Qing out of the car and they walked.

Standing at the street corner, Mu Qing looked at the scene before her and exclaimed inwardly: "This is quite an eye-opener! There are so many people! The morning market in the Song Dynasty was so lively!"

The streets were lined with taverns and restaurants, their colorful wine flags fluttering in the morning sun; shops selling turbans, paper mills, cloth stores, and fruit stalls opened their doors, and waiters stood at the entrances to greet customers; in the market, brokers haggled and shouted as they hawked their wares, hoping for a good start to the day; vendors selling tea and snacks set up their carrying poles and stands, and began to play their clappers and sing…

Chen Xun took on the role of tour guide, holding Mu Qing's hand with one hand and pointing to the shops and vendors on the street with the other, introducing: where the fruits are sweet, where the fabrics have beautiful patterns, where the paper paintings are the most exquisite, and so on.

"The city gates open at the fourth watch. After the fifth watch, the monk's iron plaque rings, and the morning market opens. Some vendors rush to secure a spot, while others wander through the streets and alleys. A stroll through the market can yield many delicious foods."

Mu Qing secretly admired Chen Xun's shopping skills and asked, "Third Brother, how do you know so much about shopping? It's like you have a living map. And don't you usually eat breakfast at home?"

Chen Xun waved his hand and then lowered his head to patiently instruct his younger sister: "Eating too much meat and fish can get boring. People say the night market is lively and has good food! But there are also good things at the morning market! Your third brother loves this kind of food and always goes out to stroll around when he's on leave from school. How about I take you to try some?"

That's a great suggestion! Food is the most important thing for people! We're in the same boat; we also love this kind of food!

Mu Qing nodded in agreement: "Okay! Let's go quickly!"

Chen Xun led Mu Qing through the crowd, and after walking for about half an incense stick's time, they turned left into an alley on the side of the street.

At the alley entrance stood an old man with a black coarse cloth headscarf, bending over and using tongs to stir the charcoal fire in a portable stove. His dark blue clothes looked like they had been washed countless times, with the edges worn white.

Chen Xun walked over with a smile and greeted him, "Old Li, are you open for business today?"

"Oh, it's young Master Chen! He's just starting a fire! Please sit down, you're the first one here today!"

Old Li took a white cloth and dusted off the small table and stool next to him, which were not very dusty. He then gestured for Chen Xun to sit down.

"And who is this young lady...?"

Chen Xun pulled Mu Qing down to sit and said, "My dear sister, I brought this out today especially to try your quail dumplings!"

"Please have a seat, it will be ready soon!" Old Li beamed, his wrinkled face deepening even further.

Mu Qing didn't know what this "馉饳" was at first, but when Old Li took out a bamboo strip of dough from the drawer below, Mu Qing suddenly realized that "馉饳" was just wonton!

She stared intently at Old Li, watching him take a thick, square dough sheet, about the thickness of a copper coin, pick up a ball of meat filling with his chopsticks, place it on the dough, and pinch it diagonally to form a small bud. Beside him, two portable stoves held two iron pots, one filled with boiling water. He would shape one bud and toss it into the pot. Old Li worked quickly; in no time, the buds were floating and rolling in the pot. Once the ones in one pot were cooked, the oil in the other pot turned red.

Old Li asked Chen Xun, "Same as always, no crosstalk?"

"Okay, I'm not going to get any more!"

Mu Qing couldn't understand, but she saw Old Li skillfully scoop up the dumplings floating in the soup pot with a bamboo strainer, drain the water, and then use long chopsticks to pick them up one by one and put them into the boiling oil.

It crackled and hissed.

Old Li scooped up the fried dough sticks and placed them on a plate, then carried them to the small table. With a few slurps, Old Li arranged five small dishes around the table, containing salt, braising liquid, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and pepper.

"Come on, they look just like flower buds about to bloom! Try them. Old Li lived in Tokyo, and this way of cooking came from there. Others like to eat them skewered together. I prefer them scattered like this, each one dipped in the sauce. Qing'er, you should try it! Make a small cut, let the air out, and then eat it!" Chen Xun enthusiastically picked one up for Mu Qing, watching her eagerly as she put it in her mouth.

In front of her, a white porcelain plate was filled with golden "flowers," but to Mu Qing, it looked like a plate of fried wontons.

She picked up a piece with her chopsticks, dipped it in a little salt, and took a small bite as Chen Xun had instructed. She heard a "pop" sound, and waited for steam to escape from the opening before taking a bigger bite. Mmm, the skin was crispy and delicious, and the filling was quail and pork, which was even more delicious with the rich broth.

"Delicious!" Mu Qing finished one in no time.

"Hehe! How could Third Brother's introduction be wrong!"

The two exchanged a smile and, with perfect understanding, began to devour a plate of dumplings together.

...

The two were enjoying their meal when suddenly shouts and curses came from the depths of the alley. Immediately afterward, Mu Qing felt the ground tremble slightly beneath her feet, and then a boy suddenly ran out from the depths of the alley, followed by a group of adults.

"Stop! Stop!"

The boy was agile and ran very fast. In the blink of an eye, he had already rushed to the small table where Mu Qing was sitting. Mu Qing was distracted for a moment, and the dumplings she was holding with her chopsticks disappeared.

The next moment, a plate of fried dough twists on the table was in the boy's hands. With a flick of his wrist, the fried dough twists went into a cloth bag, and then the white porcelain bottle in his hand flew out like a small flying saucer, heading towards the people chasing after him.

The boy chuckled and took off running. Mu Qing watched helplessly as her beloved "golden dumpling" fell into someone else's pocket, and grabbed the boy's sleeve. The boy then used his strength to pull Mu Qing up from the stool, but Mu Qing held on tightly, and the two of them tumbled forward to the ground.

It all happened so suddenly. The boy struggled violently, and Mu Qing, being small and weak, only heard a "ripping" sound as her clothes tore. Then, tragedy struck. The recoil caused Mu Qing to sway backward, clutching the small piece of cloth. In the instant she fell, she rolled over and caught herself on the stool behind her.

Unfortunately, Mu Qing missed it. Just a finger's width away from the stool, she brushed past it and fell face-first to the ground in a spectacular fashion.