Двойная увертюра

Глава 63

"Get up! You're filthy."

"I don't care, you made it dirty, you wash my clothes."

"I'll throw coal all over you, you hear me?!" Xiao Dao turned his face away and continued fanning the stove.

"Sigh." Xue Beifan rolled over and leaned against his arm, his finger reaching out to poke Xiao Dao's embroidered shoes. "I'm asking you, why are you so ungrateful?"

"What do you mean by being ungrateful?" Xiao Dao opened the lid again to take a look. "I just don't want people to owe me favors. It's annoying."

"Isn't it annoying to owe others favors?" Xue Beifan had never heard this kind of talk before. "What's there to be afraid of when others owe you favors?"

Xiao Dao raised an eyebrow slightly. "Isn't it all the same? You have to pay back what you owe others, and you have to pay back what others owe you. I get annoyed with others, and they get annoyed with me too. It's too much trouble."

"Ha." Xue Beifan shook his head. "Nonsense."

Seeing that the medicine was almost ready, Xiao Dao took the pot off the stove and asked Xue Beifan, "Hey, have you thought of any way?"

"I didn't expect this method, but there are some things I can't figure out."

"Tell me about it." Xiao Dao carried the medicine bowl to the door and called Xiao Yue over. Xiao Yue didn't ask any questions, and took the bowl to deliver the medicine to Yao Duo. Before leaving, she didn't forget to wipe the black soot off Xiao Dao's chin.

When Xiao Dao returned to the courtyard, he saw that Xue Beifan had already stood up, brushing the dust off his clothes. "What I don't understand is, why did that guard drag Yao Duo outside the ghost city to be displayed to the public?"

Xiao Dao laughed as well, "And why did that guard come alone? The person was rescued, and she just turned and ran without stopping him… Isn't that a bit too much for such a grand name as the Royal Guard?"

"What reason could it be?" Xue Beifan asked, puzzled.

"Who knows?" Xiao Dao didn't seem to care about the matter. "Think about it, even the Queen had to use poison to choose a husband. If a woman's heart is as unfathomable as the bottom of the sea, then hers is as fine as a hair on a cow. What's the point of pondering it?"

"If the Queen's needle is a hair-like needle, then what kind of needle are you?" Xue Beifan asked with a smile as he approached Xiao Dao.

Xiao Dao moved aside a little and used a palm-leaf fan to shoo him away.

Xue Beifan turned his back and tugged at her sleeve. "Come on, let's go for a walk outside and think of something."

"Your back is covered in dirt!" Xiao Dao was both annoyed and amused, and reached out to pat his back. "Go change your clothes, you can't get it all off."

"Do I have to change clothes again?" Xue Beifan asked with a sullen face, seemingly annoyed.

"Who told you to wear black and roll around on the ground!" Xiao Dao kicked him. "Your back is covered in gray, and the front and back are different colors. Aren't you ashamed to go out like this!"

"How about I roll it again to make it more even?" Xue Beifan pretended to roll it around on the spot.

"You're going to die!" Xiao Dao reached out and grabbed his ear. "Go change your clothes."

"Hiss... You're just like my mother."

"Pah!" Xiao Dao shooed him away. "I want a daughter, not a son!"

"Do you need my help?" Xue Beifan suddenly turned around and asked seriously.

Xiao Dao was stunned for a moment before he understood what Xue Beifan meant by "helping." His face turned red, and he used his palm-leaf fan as a slap, yelling, "Go to hell, you lecherous scoundrel!"

So Xue Beifan was chased and beaten by Xiao Dao all the way back to his house to find clothes to change into, only to find that his bundle was empty.

"Oh dear, a thief has broken in!" Xue Beifan shrugged. "Why did they only steal clothes and not money?"

Chonghua, who was looking at the geography of the Ghost City area at the table, looked up helplessly and said, "Please be serious for once. If your clothes get dirty, just put them in your bundle. Xiaoyue took them to wash when she was cleaning the house just now."

Xue Beifan scratched his head, "Oh..."

"Xiaoyue has never washed my clothes, yet she's washing yours." Chonghua seemed to have some complaints. If she had known it wouldn't be that clean, she would have preferred to be as carefree as Xue Er, which would have been more advantageous.

Seeing that he was jealous, Xue Beifan went over with a grin, "Oh dear, how could I let my sister-in-law wash my clothes?"

Upon hearing the words "elder sister-in-law," Chonghua's heart skipped a beat.

Xue Beifan pressed his advantage, "Can I borrow some clothes?"

Chonghua immediately grabbed the bundle and shoved it into his hands, asking, "What did you just say?"

Xue Beifan's lips twitched, and he reached out to pat him on the shoulder, "How can your sister-in-law do the laundry alone? You should go and keep her company!"

So Chonghua stood there, stunned, his mind filled with the words "sister-in-law," and he loved hearing it more and more.

Xue Beifan shook his head and went behind the screen to change his clothes. As soon as he opened the bundle, he became furious, "Damn it, why are they all blank copies?!"

Chonghua frowned. "Of course a man should wear all white. Haven't you heard of white clothes being as white as snow?"

"Ru Xue my foot! Wouldn't it be better if you just gave me a blood-stained garment?"

Chonghua slammed his hand on the dagger on the table. "Do you want me to stab you a few times and stain it red?"

Xue Beifan pouted, reluctantly choosing one, and asked again, "Aren't there any black ones?"

"Just wear the white one." Chonghua smiled. "Wear it or not, it's up to you. If you really can't stand it, just go out naked. I'm going to see your... sister-in-law, to do the laundry!"

After saying that, he happily opened the door and went out.

Xiao Dao went back to his room to get some silver and then picked up a red paper umbrella. The sky was overcast, and he wondered if it would rain soon.

Just as they arrived in the courtyard to wait for Xue Beifan, Chonghua opened the door and walked out with a look that said, "I'm in a great mood."

Xiao Dao stared at him blankly.

Chonghua nodded and greeted her with great enthusiasm. Xiaodao thought to herself, "Did Xiaoyue kiss him or something?" But then she realized something was wrong. Chonghua was the kind of person her mother often talked about—a hopeless romantic, the kind who was so infatuated he was practically stupid. If Xiaoyue had kissed him directly, he probably would have died on the spot.

"Hiss, does Chonghua have lice on his clothes? Something's off about him."