В Цзянху есть Сяо Чань

Глава 14

Whether it's five months or two months, it seems like it's too long.

Huo Nan will be back in about half a month. What will we do with the room then?

This girl is clearly still naive about this, while I...

Sigh, how did things get to this awkward situation...?

Chapter Seventeen: If the Enemy Does Not Move, I Do Not Move

That day, Song Xiaohua got up even earlier than the day before.

Looking up at the crescent moon still hanging in the sky, she couldn't help but burst into tears...

It's not that she doesn't want to sleep, it's that she's afraid to sleep! She's afraid that if she falls asleep, she'll forget to feed the dog, and if it gets sick from hunger, then it'll be a tragedy.

Unfortunately, the little guy, whether he ate too much last night or was deliberately trying to annoy her, slept soundly the whole time. Just now, he grunted twice to indicate that he was hungry, drank a few sips of rice porridge, smacked his lips and licked his nose, then turned into a position with his four legs in the air and fell back into a sweet, snoring sleep.

Song Xiaohua was filled with hatred; she really wanted to bite off his little arms and legs one by one...

With dark circles under her eyes, she went to the nearby morning market and bought some flatbread, fried dough sticks, steamed buns, and porridge. She marveled at how long and unchanging Chinese food culture has been for thousands of years. Facing the rising sun, bathed in the colorful glow of the morning sun, and smelling the fresh fragrance of nature in the air, Song Xiaohua swayed back home with her bags full of things.

"Wow! You guys really do get up earlier than the chickens every day!"

This greeting caused the father and son, who happened to push open the door and come out, to exchange a silent glance.

"Hurry up and brush your teeth and wash your face, come and have some hot breakfast!"

On this chilly autumn morning, with a strong wind blowing, Song Xiaohua's face, after all that running around, looked rosy, which, combined with her bright smile, made her appear even more optimistic and full of vitality.

However, those once bright and lively eyes now seemed a little off...

Lu Ling cheered and went to get the tooth powder, while Lu Ziqi walked over and stopped next to Song Xiaohua, glancing at her briefly before unable to suppress a smile: "Didn't you get enough rest?"

"It's alright!" Song Xiaohua blinked and stubbornly insisted, "Your complexion is pretty good. Looks like we don't need to see Doctor Hu anymore, right?"

"Yes, thanks to your bowl of brown sugar tea."

"Hehe, what a lucky accident! No problem, no problem!"

Song Xiaohua couldn't help but laugh out loud twice, extremely proud of herself. Seeing her so happy, Lu Ziqi felt relieved and smiled as well.

Although he often wore a smile, behind that smile seemed to lie endless loneliness and heaviness.

But that smile made Song Xiaohua feel as if she heard the sound of grass sprouting from the soil... that sound came from her heart...

Oh my god, I'm swooning over him again!

While muttering "Amitabha, do not look at what is improper" to herself, Song Xiaohua rushed into the house carrying a large pile of things, leaving Lu Ziqi standing there alone, completely bewildered...

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"Your hands can't get wet. I'll prepare the food when I get back. You don't need to worry about washing the dishes or anything like that."

"good."

"There shouldn't be any problems with decocting the medicine, right?"

"without."

"Is the dressing change scheduled for the afternoon?"

"right."

"I've finished eating, I'm going to the government office now."

"Um."

Lu Ziqi glanced at the unusually quiet Song Xiaohua with some surprise. Why had she suddenly become so taciturn, hanging her head and looking like a typical submissive wife? Although, she was indeed a submissive wife, however…

This girl is truly unpredictable, and she leaves no trace or warning whatsoever; she's really hard to fathom...

What Song Xiaohua was thinking at this moment was, what if one day she was no longer just a 'fangirl' but actually fell in love with him?

After all, living under the same roof with such an alluring man every day, the chances of being successfully "captured" by him are extremely high.

If that's really the case, it doesn't seem like a big deal, since they were already a legitimate married couple!

However, the thought of actually living here, having children, becoming a woman, and then an old woman seemed absurd to Song Xiaohua.

Perhaps it's because subconsciously she doesn't consider herself a person of this time and space. Is this what's called a lack of belonging and security?

Okay, putting all that fuzzy stuff aside, there's one more crucial point: she can't fall in love with him first!

In love, whoever falls in love first is the loser.

Moreover, this was in an era where men were superior to women.

If she falls for him, but he doesn't reciprocate in the same way, or even treats her as a long-term, unpaid maid who cooks and takes care of the children, what should she do?

What if she falls in love with him wholeheartedly, but he has multiple wives and concubines, or even frequents brothels and treats her like trash?

Okay, all of that is too far in the future, so let's just talk about the one thing right in front of us: he clearly still loves his deceased wife deeply.

The name engraved on that memorial tablet was somewhat blurred, and the surrounding paint had faded considerably. Perhaps this was because someone often touched it? Touching the cold characters, thinking of the departed face…

I only caught a quick glance at that line of text and could barely make out two characters: 'wife' and 'Paulownia'.

How can you compete for the place in someone's heart, the place of 'wife,' when they are no longer here?

After much thought, Song Xiaohua, her already groggy mind becoming as dizzy as after a rollercoaster ride, finally concluded that:

If the enemy doesn't move, I don't move; I lure the enemy deep into my territory and wait for them to make a move; if the enemy does move, I... will try my best to remain still...

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Time is such a wonderful thing to kill; tidy up the room, sweep the floor, entertain the kids, play with the dog, and a morning will pass in no time.

For Song Xiaohua, who was used to being busy all the time as if she were risking her life, such a leisurely life was something she could never dream of.

At noon, while Lu Ziqi was cooking, she would help by adding firewood, oil, and vinegar, chatting idly for a while, and carefully noting down the recipes for each dish.

After finishing her meal and seeing off Lu Ziqi, the public servant who devoted himself to his work, and after coaxing Lu Ling and Song Wuque to take a nap, Song Xiaohua changed into men's clothing, locked the door, and went out.

Before leaving, she peeked out and glanced around to make sure no one was watching before darting out. She kept her head down and hurried along the way, and luckily it was lunchtime, so she didn't encounter many people.

This furtive, fear-of-being-discovered behavior thrilled and amused her, it even had a hint of... 'cheating'...

Oh, my apologies...

Author's Note: Happy Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day to all my dear readers!

I'm happily climbing down to eat some glutinous rice balls!

Chapter Eighteen Adultery

Yuan Hao was already waiting in the teahouse, in the same room as yesterday, with a pot of hot tea and several plates of snacks.

She was still wearing a blue shirt, only the light blue had been replaced with a pale blue, blending seamlessly with the high sky outside the window.

Seeing Song Xiaohua rush in headfirst, he couldn't help but laugh heartily: "Why are you in such a hurry? Are you afraid I'll sneak some snacks?"

I already knew yesterday that she didn't have much of a liking for tea, but she was extremely interested in those delicate little snacks, eating them piece by piece like a greedy child.

Song Xiaohua gave an embarrassed dry laugh.

I figured I couldn't change my impulsive nature anytime soon. I didn't think there was anything wrong with it, but compared to the calm and composed person in front of me with a book in hand, I felt awkward and embarrassed.

"Are you reading? What book are you reading?"

"Leisure reading".

"Reading for leisure is good!"

Yuan Hao glanced at her: "So you're also interested in these books that are of no use to passing the imperial examinations?"

"Work-life balance is important; you need to clear your head sometimes!"

After casually making up a couple of excuses, Song Xiaohua suddenly remembered that her current scholarly attire suggested she must have studied for a few years. So she quickly added, "To be honest, I'm just not cut out for studying. I get dizzy just looking at those classical Chinese phrases. After all these years of studying, I only know a few characters. I'm only slightly better than an illiterate person."