The little princess was torn, and the demon emperor patched her up

Chapter 40 Remember to bring flowers next time we meet
"Twenty-eight years old?" The old woman thought for a moment. "There is no Yunniang who is twenty-eight years old, but there is a Yunniang who is more than thirty years old. Her fiancé went to Beijing to take the imperial examination twenty years ago. Poor her, she kept waiting for him, but he never came back after twenty years. They said that the scholar died outside! Now, she has been crying all these years, and her eyes are almost blind. She can't even make the fish lanterns that she used to make a living. Fortunately, the widower next door who lost his wife has been taking care of her all these years. The widower's two children are also honest people, willing to respect her. The two got married last month. Look, she lives in the house in front, and there is a red couplet hanging on the door!"

Xiao Baojing looked at the family in surprise.

The orange glow stretched across the sky, illuminating Yuhua Lane with warmth, and a few clusters of hibiscus flowers bloomed brightly at the base of the wall.

The wooden window with a big red "囍" character on it was half open, and a middle-aged woman in an apron was cooking.

She had fair skin but was thin and gaunt. She wore a emerald silk skirt and a red paper-cut flower pinned on the side of her bun, symbolizing her status as a newly married bride. Her eyes were slightly cloudy, and the fine lines at the corners of her eyes extended all the way to her temples.

Xiao Baojing didn't dare to look at Ji Zhengyan's expression.

Ji Zhengyan walked towards that house step by step.

The originally upright figure gradually became hunched.

When he was about to reach the wooden window, he stopped abruptly, as if he didn't want to disturb her life.

His appearance gradually changed, his beard grew longer, and a few fine lines appeared at the corners of his eyes.

With tears in his eyes, he smiled softly and said, "Yunniang, it turns out that we haven't seen each other for twenty years. We are both old... It's great that you got married and have someone to rely on..."

The rosy glow shone on Ji Zhengyan's face, revealing an extremely gratified expression.

The breeze blows.

His figure gradually faded, until it seemed as if he had never existed.

Yunniang was still busy cooking.

As if she sensed something, she subconsciously raised her head.

On the windowsill, there suddenly appeared a tattered little carp-shaped lamp.

It was the one she gave him when she sent him to Beijing for the imperial examination twenty years ago.

He just came...

A fresh hibiscus flower lay beside the small lamp, its petals swaying in the wind.

- Ji Lang, next time you come back to see me, I don't need you to be so glorious, I don't want a sedan chair with eight bearers, a phoenix coronet, or rouge, powder, silk, and satin. I just want you to come home safely. If you can pick a flower for me on the way, that would be even better.

Yunniang looked at the lamp and the flowers.

Tears fell uncontrollably into the pot.

"Jiro..."

She sobbed, but felt relieved.

The alley is deep.

Xiao Baojing was walking back alone when unexpectedly a little girl came running towards him.

She held up the fish lantern and shouted at the little boy who was reading at the door of her house: "You only know how to study, like a stupid nerd! Others would give their wives rouge and powder, but you don't even know to give me a flower, how annoying! Next time when we play house, I don't want you to be my husband! I want Brother Qing to be my husband!"

The little boy closed the book woodenly and went to hold the little girl's hand: "Then next time we meet, I'll bring you a flower, okay? Don't let Brother Qing pretend to be your husband!"

Next time we meet, remember to bring flowers.

Xiao Baojing was looking at two naive children when a fish lantern was suddenly handed to him.

She took it and saw Shang Bingjiu also holding a fish lantern.

The painted fish lantern is colorful and nearly two feet long. It emits a warm yellow light in the dusk. When you shake the wooden handle, the fish head and tail will sway gently.

She asked, "Did you buy it?"

Shang Bingjiu: “I did it.”

The two of them walked through Yuhua Lane and stepped onto a stone arch bridge. There were red peonies growing beside the bridge, and a cherry tree peeped out from the side.

Xiao Baojing walked in front holding the fish lantern: "You know what? When you meet the girl you like again, remember to bring flowers."

The young man in a Taoist robe and a flowery hairpin looked at her delicate and charming back with his fox eyes bent: "I know."

The next morning.

The old hen in the banana yard was still sleeping in the chicken coop.

While the yamen runners were away, Xiao Baojing stole the scraps of red wedding dress, put them in his arms and left the county yamen. As soon as he reached the loquat garden, he saw Shang Bingjiu standing at the door with his hands in his pockets.

He said, "The little princess has a habit of stealing things. The white shoes from the county governor's mansion, the chicken from Qingyin Tower, the red wedding dress from the county government..."

Xiao Baojing blushed at what he said.

It turns out that he knew everything she did behind her back!

She retorted shyly: "Who stole it? I took it, yes I took it!"

"Where are you going to take these rags?"

"This isn't a rag!"

Xiao Baojing quickly stepped into the loquat garden.

Xiao Qian had ordered people to bury Huo Yingying properly, and those "Ji Huaisheng" who were hanged in the embroidery building were also buried one by one.

The embroidered building, which originally had flying eaves, brackets, carved beams and painted rafters, now looks like just dilapidated ruins, but the loquat trees in the garden are still lush and flourishing.

Xiao Baojing found Huo Yingying's grave under a loquat tree, carefully wrapped the scraps of the red wedding dress with a piece of light yellow brocade, and then buried it carefully next to Huo Yingying's grave.

She took out a few eggs from her bag and placed them in front of the two graves that were next to each other.

She looked up at Shang Bingjiu and said, "Hong Jiayi said that Miss Huo was penniless before she died, and could only eat loquats from the garden. She must like these eggs."

These eggs were laid by the old hen in the banana yard.

She and Yaoyao cooked it in a pot last night and dyed it bright red with sumac.

Red eggs represent joy.

She congratulated Huo Yingying and Hong Jiayi on their revenge and their bright future.

A gentle breeze blew through the garden, and the loquat leaves rustled.

As he was walking out, Shang Bingjiu reached out and picked a ripe loquat from a high branch.

Sharp nails slowly and methodically peeled the loquat skin.

The flesh is golden and dense.

Xiao Baojing swallowed his saliva: "Do you understand what you are eating? Otherwise..."

Before she could finish, Shang Bingjiu opened his mouth and swallowed the loquat.

Xiao Baojing: He doesn't chew anything he eats!

What a waste!

Just as she was feeling regretful, Shang Bingjiu came over and handed her a freshly broken loquat branch.

The branches are full of ripe loquats, orange and yellow, crowded among the green leaves, like a bunch of small lanterns.

"For... for me?"

Xiao Baojing hugged the branch in surprise and pursed the corners of his mouth.

Although the peddler had long seen through her lie of disguising herself as a puppet and often played tricks on her, to be fair, he was quite nice to her.

In this strange garden, he saved her twice!
She hugged the loquat branch tightly, suddenly raised her head, and said in a sweet and crisp voice: "Thank you, peddler!"

Shang Bingjiu put his hands in his pockets and looked down at her.

A few rays of golden sunlight passed through the branches, dividing the girl's delicate and fair face into light and dark shadows. The fuzz on her cheeks was slightly visible, and her dark and moist almond eyes were filled with his beautiful face. She smiled sweetly, like melted honey.

The wind brought the sweet and sour fragrance of the loquats in her arms.

The boy gnashed his fangs.

She looks...

It tastes better than loquat.

(End of this chapter)