Who among the gangsters wants to fall in love?

Chapter 429 My Mother and I are deeply in love
crackling and popping—

At midnight, the city of Yagu was brightly lit, with fireworks and firecrackers going off one after another. However, a long queue formed at the city gate, with people entering the city in an orderly manner under the supervision of the guards.

During the war, most of the elderly, women, and children were evacuated to the rear. Those who remained in the pass were mostly brave and fierce. Now that the war is over, and the Rong people cannot invade for a while, it is natural to bring their families back to the city.

To prevent the infiltrators from entering, the checks were very strict, but the city was still filled with laughter and joy, a relaxed and festive atmosphere.

Xiao Yuanmu was wearing a warm white jacket and a red cotton hat, which covered her hair. Her pretty face was rosy and delicate, making her very cute.

She sat on her horse, gazing into the city.

The woman in purple led the horse forward, and to outsiders, it looked like a chivalrous woman from the martial arts world traveling the world with her young daughter.

With the help of the Imperial Tutor's token, the two easily entered the city. Sitting on his horse, Xiao Yuanmu looked at the blacksmith shops scattered throughout the city and the same thought that Xiao Lengyue had had before came to mind.

Tai Xuan Palace has no soldiers or a systematic logistics system. If it really wants to confront the imperial court head-on, it can kill a few members of the royal family, but it will be difficult to seize the world and win the hearts of the people.

Although now the Luo family only has Luo Chaoyan as a direct descendant of the royal family, and the remaining princes and nobles...

Xiao Yuanmu was idly thinking about these things when he saw Ziyi mount her horse and, guided by the little white snake, arrive at the front of the Prince of Yan's mansion. Given Ziyi's status, it would obviously not be difficult for her to enter the mansion.

But Xiao Yuanmu's identity seemed to work, so a maid secretly glanced at Xiao Yuanmu and whispered:
"This young lady... is she the Marquis's daughter?"

puff--

Zi Yi couldn't help but smile, leading her horse into the mansion. Xiao Yuanmu remained expressionless, too lazy to pay attention to these words... It was all Zhao Wumian's fault for taking him for leisurely strolls around the capital, which led to this rumor.

Inside the mansion, one could see many maids carrying wooden boxes moving back and forth. Zi Yi keenly smelled the medicine inside the boxes and, upon closer inspection, realized that these maids were actually tidying up the alchemy room.

She was taken aback for a moment, but then realized that this must have been at Zhao Wumian's behest.

"That's quite thoughtful..."

She glanced at him a few more times and couldn't help but smile. She knew that Zhao Wumian was now surrounded by beautiful women, adorned with jewels and jade.

He's busy chatting with this girl one minute and then trying to please another the next, afraid of neglecting someone. He's probably already neglecting everyone.

But they didn't ignore her.

However, she discovered that there were still problems in many of the alchemy rooms. Since these maids and Zhao Wumian were not experts, she did not bother to find Zhao Wumian first, but stayed in the alchemy room to direct the maids to make proper arrangements.

Xiao Yuanmu quietly arrived at the backyard. Before she even got close, her martial arts skills allowed her to keenly hear the whispers between a man and a woman, as well as the woman's rapid breathing.

The voice sounds somewhat familiar...

"Auntie, don't be afraid. You can do this... Yes, people who practice martial arts have great flexibility..."

"What are you doing, touching me like that?!"

"Are you feeling unwell? You're starting to shake..."

?

Xiao Yuanmu's calm expression suddenly froze, her almond-shaped eyes widening in shock. Even with her martial arts skills, her first reaction was whether she had misheard.

She pulled off her red cotton hat with her little hands, her hair falling loose and a bit messy. Then she rubbed her little ears inside the brim of the hat, trying to listen carefully to confirm.

But the fact that Xiao Yuanmu could hear it meant that the couple having an affair in the backyard had also discovered her.

The faint, scorching sound in the courtyard immediately stopped. Xiao Yuanmu quickly grabbed his cotton hat, jumped onto the wall, and looked towards the backyard.

Amidst the fine snowfall, beside the plum blossom tree, in a dimly lit corner of a private room where the window paper seeped through the dim light, a lone man and woman embraced tightly, seemingly just holding each other.

Zhao Wumian, with one arm around the waist of the beauty in his arms and the other pulling up his trousers, turned around and met Xiao Yuanmu's eyes as he stood on the wall.

His eyes held a mixture of surprise and astonishment.

How did you happen to come back at this time...?

The person in his arms had soft, slightly disheveled hair that hung down to her waist. She possessed a gentle and mature beauty, but judging from her small movements, she clearly wanted to run away. However, she was held back by Zhao Wumian and could not move. She could only bury her face in Zhao Wumian's shoulder as if trying to cover her ears.

Even though his face was covered, how could Xiao Yuanmu not recognize his master and adoptive mother?

Xiao Lengyue was wearing a light blue silk dress, but it was extremely disheveled. The hem of the dress seemed to have been hastily put down and had not yet had time to unfold before the two of them embraced tightly, causing the hem of the dress to be squeezed by them, and her pair of slender and fair legs were exposed to the wind and snow.

Xiao Lengyue seemed to have sweated a lot; the skin on her legs was slightly damp, smooth, and fair.

Snowflakes, carrying plum blossoms, drifted down, some landing on Xiao Lengyue's legs, some even sticking to her.

This...this is sweat? Clearly, clearly it is...

After his initial surprise, Zhao Wumian quickly realized that Xiao Yuanmu had been advising Xiao Lengyue to bring his aunt and himself together, and now that they had finally gotten married, it was obviously a good thing.

That's why he put his arm around Xiao Lengyue, so that his embarrassed aunt wouldn't have to find a place to hide... This was perfectly aboveboard, what was there to hide?
He then smiled at Xiao Yuanmu as usual and said, "You've finally arrived, my aunt and I..."

"You still know she's your aunt!?"

Xiao Yuanmu's voice suddenly rang out, interrupting Zhao Wumian's words. His voice was still clear and ethereal, but his tone could not hide his anger.

Zhao Wumian: ?

The group of girls taking a bath in the side room must have known that their lover was having an affair with Xiao Lengyue, but they wouldn't rush to greet him before they finished bathing.

They were chatting and laughing when they suddenly heard Xiao Yuanmu's voice. Everyone immediately fell silent, not even a splash of water could be heard.

Inside the room, Shen Xiangge made a 'shush' gesture to Guan Yunshu. Her pretty face was full of curiosity. She leaned over the edge of the bathtub with both hands, and listened intently. Water droplets condensed on her white skin and dripped down her cherry lips, but she didn't seem to notice. She was clearly eager to watch the drama unfold.

The other girls reacted similarly, but Guan Yunshu remained unfazed, continuing to dangle the water droplets over her shoulder, her expression saying something like, "You got caught doing such indecent things in public, didn't you?"

In fact, with Zhao Wumian's martial arts skills, he could have easily dodged it if he wanted to; he just stood still because he knew Xiao Yuanmu was coming.

Unfortunately, Zhao Wumian felt that he and his aunt were completely innocent and did not hide from each other, but Xiao Yuanmu's reaction was beyond his expectations.

After a few seconds of confusion, he suddenly realized.

Of course, he knew his childhood sweetheart better than anyone else. Seeing Xiao Yuanmu's expression, he knew that her anger was purely an emotional issue.

Understanding is one thing, and emotions are another. What woman wouldn't be angry if she saw her lover embracing another woman? If it were any other woman, Xiao Yuanmu, considering himself the first wife, would naturally be magnanimous and let it go, but who is this woman?
A master in name only, but a mother in reality.

It's one thing for Su Qingqi and Guan Yunshu to be ahead of her, but how could her master... The most crucial point is that this was actually the result of her pushing things along.

Xiao Yuanmu felt as if the cute cotton hat in his hand was glowing green, which made him feel extremely angry.

Fortunately, Luo Chaoyan was there behind him, leaning against the wall, gazing northwards like a waiting-for-husband stone. If even Luo Chaoyan had gotten ahead of him in the end, Xiao Yuanmu would probably have been so angry that he would have wanted to kill someone.

Xiao Lengyue, who was hiding her face on Zhao Wumian's shoulder like an ostrich, trembled when she heard the loud shout. Her face felt hot.

But seeing that the situation had been exposed, Xiao Lengyue quickly struggled free, took a few steps back, her face flushed as she smoothed out the hem of her clothes, and looked up to say:

"Yuanmu, you, you must listen to your mother's explanation..."

In her desperation, Xiao Lengyue didn't even use the title "Master," clearly indicating that she was in a state of utter confusion.

Although she and Xiao Yuanmu were not related by blood, they supported each other and had a deep bond when Zhao Wumian was not in Lin'an.

Although they are called master and disciple, they are actually mother and daughter. However, Xiao Lengyue does not want to be called old, so she has always refused to use this title.

Although the two women had anticipated this and even had many plans in private, they still couldn't help feeling guilty when the matter was actually accomplished.

"explain?"

Xiao Yuanmu landed with a leap, clutching his cute cotton hat, and strode quickly toward the two of them, leaving short footprints in the snow. His face was icy cold.

Xiao Lengyue shrank her neck, intending to project a dignified and composed elder's demeanor, but in an instant she lost her composure and couldn't help but hide behind Zhao Wumian, stomping her foot.

"Sleepless, say something!"

Xiao Yuanmu stormed over, which was quite intimidating, but Zhao Wumian was certainly not afraid of her Yuanmu; she was just worried that he might misunderstand.

Xiao Yuanmu's attitude toward this matter has always been that Xiao Lengyue wants to have a child with Zhao Wumian, which is fine, but only if Xiao Lengyue likes Zhao Wumian.

She couldn't just sacrifice herself for the sake of the child, which is why she repeatedly let Xiao Lengyue rub against her to seek pleasure.

Therefore, he took the lead in explaining, "Yuanmu, your mother and I are deeply in love, and it was only natural that I couldn't help myself and would never have let her suffer any injustice."

?

Xiao Yuanmu's murderous steps faltered. Are you rubbing salt into my wounds?

"Pfft..." Shen Xiangge inside the room almost couldn't hold back her laughter. She wanted to laugh, but she quickly covered her lips with both hands, her eyebrows curving into crescent moons.

My husband is so funny.

Xiao Yuanmu walked closer, glancing sideways at Zhao Wumian, her teeth grinding slightly as if she wanted to fight him. However, knowing there were other girls listening in the backyard, she didn't want to offend Zhao Wumian, so she could only say coldly:
"You and your aunt are in love... You're so proud of yourself, aren't you? Showing off this the first thing you say to me?"

"Then when you grow up?" Zhao Wumian asked carefully.

Xiao Yuanmu glanced at him sideways without saying a word, and simply opened her arms. Zhao Wumian bent down and picked her up. Given their relationship, this little emotion was really nothing... Zhao Wumian was more overjoyed to see Xiao Yuanmu after so long.

It was likely that Xiao Yuanmu felt the same way. Moreover, while the other girls found Zhao Wumian's explanation amusing, Xiao Yuanmu was actually able to suppress his emotions somewhat after hearing it.

As long as Xiao Lengyue doesn't compromise herself for some so-called child, national foundation, or something like that, it's fine.

But as soon as Xiao Yuanmu was picked up, he leaned in and gave Zhao Wumian a quick peck on the lips.

Xiao Lengyue, who was hiding behind Zhao Wumian, saw that Xiao Yuanmu's temper came and went quickly. Before she could even feel relieved, her expression suddenly became anxious.

"Xiao Yuanmu! You're not grown up yet, what are you kissing me for!?"

"so what?"

?

The girls in the room all looked a bit dazed, which was quite cute. How did the offensive turn around...? Is this how the Xiao family usually is?

So what? Xiao Lengyue gritted her teeth, feeling that Xiao Yuanmu really didn't respect her mother. She wanted to slap her bottom with her embroidered shoe to teach her a lesson, but when she thought of the group of girls watching the melon in the side room, she suppressed her impulse.

You can't lecture your own juniors in front of others.

But then she saw Xiao Yuanmu resting his chin on Zhao Wumian's shoulder and winking at her. The two were so familiar with each other that they immediately understood what the other meant.

Zhao Wumian, holding Xiao Yuanmu in his arms, asked with a lighthearted smile, "Ziyi is back too, right? Where is she...?"

Before he could finish speaking, he felt two large, warm, and moist masses press against him from behind, and two arms wrapped around his chest.

Looking back, Xiao Lengyue placed her hands on his cheeks and leaned down to kiss him.

boo~
whoosh—

A gentle breeze blew, and this time it was the girls in the side room who were eating melons who were losing their composure.

This mother and daughter from the Xiao family actually want to openly steal a man!?

One person stealing food is considered stealing, but two people openly robbing others. Are they forming a gang in their own backyard?!

They were both dignified women, not so much capable of scheming against each other in the backyard, but neither were they so magnanimous as to allow their lovers to be so secretly cheated on.

As the first wife, Xiao Yuanmu felt she should have her own dignity and couldn't let these girls laugh at her, so she quickly suppressed her anger and became intimate with Zhao Wumian.

Splash! Shen Xiangge hurriedly stepped out of the bathtub. She couldn't take the gossip anymore. She quickly dried herself off, put on a dress, and rushed out of the room to start tearing things apart. As a demonic woman from the Demonic Sect, she raised her hand and shouted with righteous indignation.

"Outrageous! In broad daylight, a lone man and two women embracing and hugging—this is indecent and disgraceful!!"

Mu Li'er and Su Qingqi had the same thought, so they quickly went out of the house. They couldn't possibly wash inside while the Xiao family mother and daughter were out having sex, could they?

Wouldn't the victims then change from Xiao Yuanmu to them in the blink of an eye?

If you keep gossiping, you might end up eavesdropping on your lover!

Do they have to play a tune called "Phoenix Seeking Its Mate" inside the house while listening to this?

Interrupt it immediately!

Only Guan Yunshu and Luo Xiangzhu did not leave the house, seemingly at ease.

Guan Yunshu felt that doing things this way would ultimately benefit Zhao Wumian, so she remained as stable as Mount Tai.

Luo Xiangzhu simply stepped out of the bathtub, her face flushed with urgency, but she was so flustered that she couldn't get her skirt on for a long time and almost got stuck and fell down, sobbing with tears in her eyes.

Just as the vibrant colors in the backyard were about to turn into chaos, the woman in purple lightly raised the back of her hand, allowing the little white snake to coil around it. She entered through the back gate, looked at them, her delicate brows furrowed, and asked blankly:
What's wrong with you guys?

"I thought it was something serious. What's the big deal? You are all top figures in the martial arts world, yet you make such a fuss over such trivial matters of love and sex. Aren't you bored? If the maids in the manor heard this, they would think that the Marquis of Weiming's harem was on fire."

Candles were lit in the room, casting a dim glow, while a few specks of white dust lingered in the air.

At the center of the round table, several neatly dressed girls sat in front of a round cutting board with a dozen or so round lumps of dough on it.

There were several bowls next to it, filled with prepared fillings, including lamb, beef, pork, diced carrots, chives and eggs, and all kinds of flavors.

The girls sat at the table making dumplings, while Zi Yi stood to the side with her hands on her hips, scolding them.

Xiao Lengyue, Shen Xiangge, Mu Lier and the other girls silently flattened the small dough balls with rolling pins, added filling, and wrapped them up without saying a word, feeling guilty as well.

Only Guan Yunshu remained calm, as if she were detached from the situation. With her delicate white hands, she pinched out one cute and exquisite dumpling after another and placed them to one side. Upon closer inspection, she even used her fingertips to draw a few marks on the dumplings, resembling facial features.

Thus, dumplings became the adorable kitten dumplings.

Su Qingqi couldn't help but glance at Guan Yunshu. The little nun's expression was so calm, but the dumplings she made were so cute. She was enjoying herself.

Zhao Wumian stood to one side with his arms crossed, and couldn't help but smile. However, everyone looked at him coldly, so he silently suppressed his smile, looked at Ziyi, and changed the subject.

"Have you seen the alchemy room? Is there anything else you need?"

Zi Yi actually thought it was quite heartwarming for the whole family to make dumplings together and wanted to join in, but she was covered in poison and making dumplings would spoil the whole pot, so she could only look away, cross her arms, lean against the window, and casually say:

"I've seen him... I heard you've found Ningbing Lei. Give me a few days, and the Dragon Transformation Gu will be ready..."

"The Dragon Transformation Gu is fine, take a look at this first." Zhao Wumian took out a small porcelain bottle he always carried with him from his bosom and tossed it to Ziyi, saying:

"This is a pill I found in the Rongren army camp, called the Blood Clotting Pill. Shaman Tian is safe and sound thanks in part to this pill."

Xiao Yuanmu was sitting at the table, her short legs dangling in the air beneath her skirt. Because of her small hands, the dumplings she made were also a size smaller than those of the other girls.

Upon hearing this, she couldn't help but glance at him, her brows furrowing. "Relying solely on pills, I'm afraid they can only suppress the symptoms, not cure the problem. Otherwise, Shamantian wouldn't still be taking them now."

Zhao Wumian nodded slightly, and then saw Ziyi pick up the porcelain bottle, pour out the Blood Clotting Pill, hold the pill between her fingertips, examine it carefully by the candlelight, and then smell it.

"Blood Coagulation Pill... I have heard of it. There is a mineral vein in the Western Regions that is even rarer than a gold mine. The ore it produces is as red as blood and is called Blood Coagulation Crystal. But I have never heard of anyone using it to make pills."

"You've never heard of this elixir formula either?"

Zhao Wumian was slightly surprised. In his eyes, Ziyi's medical skills had always been the best in the world, yet she possessed elixirs that Ziyi was unaware of.

The woman in purple nodded slightly.

"Blood Coagulation Crystals are extremely rare and unique to the Western Regions. I have never seen them before, nor have they been found in the Central Plains. As for the Blood Coagulation Pill... I suppose it is a secret formula that Shaman Tian developed himself with the help of a master. It is a unique and unorthodox remedy... Do you have the detailed formula?"

Zhao Wumian took out a roll of short paper and handed it to Ziyi. "This is the prescription that I forced the doctor to write down, but she may have tampered with it. I need you to check it carefully."

Ziyi naturally understood this principle. Since she couldn't make dumplings anyway and couldn't help much, she couldn't resist the urge to go to the alchemy room.

Xiao Lengyue had regained her usual elder-like demeanor, glanced at the sky, and raised her eyebrows slightly.

"Is this Imperial Tutor always this diligent? It's so late, doesn't he take a break..."

Zhao Wumian glanced sideways at the purple-clad figure receding into the distance outside the window, remaining silent.

Zi Yi often worked so hard that it frightened him... as if she didn't have much time left, so she had to work even harder to make the most of every moment.

Most of the people present were martial artists with large appetites, and they made a lot of dumplings. However, it didn't take much time for so many people to make dumplings.

Therefore, after washing her hands, Guan Yunshu put on an apron and went to the kitchen to make some side dishes, otherwise eating dumplings alone would be too monotonous.

Xiao Lengyue and Luo Xiangzhu also went to help.

Xiao Yuanmu was also in the kitchen. He asked Xiao Lengyue about her and Zhao Wumian. When he heard her shyly recount her experience of playing a team for the first time, Xiao Yuanmu couldn't help but feel so angry that he gritted his teeth.

If they were still in Lin'an, with no one around, she would definitely have gotten into another fight with Zhao Wumian.

However, Zhao Wumian is not here now... He ran to the alchemy room and was suffocated by fire along with Ziyi.

The furnace in the alchemy room burned fiercely. Despite it being a snowy winter night and the windows being open for ventilation, it was still extremely hot.

Zhao Wumian and Ziyi were huddled together, discussing the Blood Coagulation Pill and the Dragon Transformation Gu.

"The Blood Clotting Pill is specially made by Shaman Tian. Since everyone's constitution is different, don't give this pill to Yuan Mu yet. Let me study it a bit more... As for the Dragon Transformation Gu, it's not that troublesome. After it's developed in a few days, you can take it and then we'll go to the grasslands."

Zhao Wumian casually leaned back in the recliner, holding a porcelain bottle in his hand. He looked at the few crystal-clear pills inside, then silently took one out and quietly stuffed it into his pocket. Only then did he pour the rest of the pills into the porcelain bottle and hand it to Ziyi.

Unaware of what was happening, Zi Yi was still examining the Frozen Tears in the wooden box. The alchemy furnace still needed to burn for a few more days; she was preparing for the Dragon Transformation Gu.

Su Qingqi peeked her head out from the door and said to the two of them, "Dinner's ready."

"Well, let's go."

The two closed the doors and windows, walked side by side in the veranda, and entered the room, where a fragrant aroma wafted towards them.

Mu Li'er, dressed in a white dress, stood in front of a large pot of dumplings, which were steaming hot.

She first served Zhao Wumian a bowl of noodle soup and said softly, "Drink this first, it's good for your stomach."

"I'm so young and skilled in martial arts, why would I need these folk remedies? I don't want to drink them..."

"drink!"

Zhao Wumian sat quietly with his bowl in his hand, which drew laughter and chatter from inside the room.

Zhao Wumian looked at the dumplings of varying sizes and characteristics in the bowl, casually scooped a few into his mouth, exhaled a breath of hot air, and then looked at the beautiful women at the table, unable to help but laugh:

"It's delicious."

Shen Xiangge sat down next to Zhao Wumian and patted his shoulder. "I've never done any of this kind of work at home. You're the first person to eat my dumplings."

"The dumpling is the first one, and the dumpling wrapper is too..."

Guan Yunshu suddenly looked up and coldly stared at him, swallowing Zhao Wumian's lewd words to his wife.

Guan Yunshu didn't actually understand what dumpling wrappers were, but she couldn't help it because she knew Zhao Wumian too well.

Zhao Wumian had no choice but to say, "No wonder some of these dumplings look ugly... but they taste delicious."

Shen Xiangge lowered her little hand, which was about to pull Zhao Wumian's ear, and then squinted her eyes with delight.

Upon hearing this, Su Qingqi couldn't help but ask Zhao Wumian, "Then, young master, guess what filling I made?"

"The beef and mutton, I watched you make dumplings the whole time."

Su Qingqi raised her index finger and shook it lightly from side to side. "It's not like I was the only one who wrapped the beef and mutton. You have to guess which one I wrapped."

How can we guess?
Zhao Wumian ate an ugly-looking dumpling and said it was "Miss Shen's," then picked up a kitten-shaped dumpling and said it was "Guan Yunshu's."

Then he picked up a tiny dumpling and said it was from 'Xiao Yuanmu'.

The three most distinctive ones were eliminated, and the remaining dumplings all looked pretty much the same.

Zhao Wumian silently finished the noodle soup his master had served him, then turned to Mu Li'er and said, "Master, I want more."

Mu Li'er got up, took the empty bowl, and ladled soup for him, asking curiously, "Didn't you say you didn't like it?"

"The soup tastes like Miss Su's dumplings, so I liked it from the first bite," Zhao Wumian answered honestly.

Su Qingqi couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle, and then laughter and cheerful chatter filled the table, such as "What about me? Can you recognize my dumplings?"

Zi Yi sat to one side, eating quietly, and looked up with a hint of envy.

It would be better if she didn't have this constitution.

After the meal, the girls went to wash the dishes, while Ziyi went to the alchemy room.

Soon, Zhao Wumian also came in, but he was carrying a bowl of dumplings.

There was only one dumpling in the bowl.

"What are you doing?"

"Try it." Zhao Wumian handed it to her, then raised his head and said, "Guess who made this?"

Zi Yi glanced at the ugly dumplings, which were just as ugly as Shen Xiangge's in their own way, and couldn't help but laugh, "It's not you, is it?"

“That’s right.” Zhao Wumian smiled and then said to her, “I’ve already covered everything, so you should cover everything too.”

"I?"

"Correct."

Zi Yi was stunned for a moment, then wrapped one up, boiled it, and fed it to Zhao Wumian.

"What kind of filling?" asked the woman in purple with a grin.

Zhao Wumian replied with a grin:

"Made with highly poisonous filling."

"You still eat something that's highly poisonous?"

"In the martial world, I'm the only one who isn't afraid of your poison."

After saying that, the two looked at each other and smiled.

Whoosh——————

The snow and wind continued into the night.

(End of this chapter)