Full House Spring

Chapter 68 Kuang Chengrui

Mai Dong saw Xia Li and asked with sparkling eyes: "What do you think? Is this man worth marrying?"

She was not at all shy when talking about this topic, nor did she show any shyness of someone who was just beginning to fall in love. Her face was just full of immaturity and ignorance.

Xia Li cursed inwardly, what a sin! If it were modern times, Maidong would be at school age, and there would be no need to think about these things so early.

But the reality is so cruel. If she doesn't settle down early, people won't be able to pick a good one. For example, Shi Mi, she is the first person in front of the old lady. Now she is only 20 years old. Two years ago, there were people vying for marriage proposals, but now no one is interested. Even her parents don't expect her to get married.

Although Xia Li was not assimilated, she would not go against the norm and encourage Mai Dong to wait a few years before getting married. She had a faint smile on her lips and said in a gentle voice:

"At the moment, he seems to be a good-looking man, with a good appearance and family background. He is generous in his speech and behavior, and his eyes are also clear. He doesn't look like a cunning or sly person. The most important thing is that you like him."

Mai Dong said carelessly: "I don't hate him. Since you all agree, there's no harm in giving it a try. Didn't you bring apricot blossom glutinous rice wine? Let me have a taste."

Xia Li didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "You are only thinking about this drink at this time?"

Mai Dong said as a matter of course: "My father and mother will worry about other things, there is no need for me to worry about them. It is great that I can make myself happy."

Xia Li couldn't help but think of her grandma looking for her relatives. If she really found them, how would she get along with them? She pessimistically believed that she would never be as lucky as Maidong.

Xia Li did not continue to waste time, she pulled Mai Dong into the house and said:

"I didn't bring much apricot blossom glutinous rice wine. The old lady and a few girls gave some to me, and grandma also kept some. What I brought here is only enough for you to satisfy your craving."

At this moment, the table was already set up in front, and Manager Zhou was personally entertaining Li Ang. Mai Dong weighed the jar of wine that Xia Li brought over and said happily, "There should be half a catty of wine here, which should be enough for the two of us to drink."

After saying that, she opened the jar and looked inside. The milky white wine exuded a mellow aroma, and Maidong liked the smell.

"This apricot blossom glutinous rice wine looks delicious. Please sit for a while. I'll have someone bring the food over."

Manager Zhou was in charge of this huge manor, and naturally he had several servants to serve him. As soon as Mai Dong went out, someone brought the dishes in, and Feng also lifted the curtain and came in. She smiled gently and said:
"Miss Fang, I have to accompany the matchmaker in front. I am really too busy to handle it. I hope you will forgive me for my incompetence."

Since entering the Duke's Mansion, Xia Li was rarely addressed as Miss Fang in a serious manner. She was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said:

"Aunt, just take care of your own business. I feel more comfortable with Maidong."

Mai Dong held the bowl and chopsticks in his hand and said with a smile: "Mom, Xia Li is not a person who cares about every penny. I will entertain her. You can leave quickly."

Feng scolded, "Don't just think about yourself. If there's not enough food, ask the kitchen to make more and send it over. The ribs your father bought are pretty good, so I'll give you some sweet and sour ribs."

Xia Li looked at the full plate of dishes on the low table and said gently, "Aunt, you are too polite. There are already enough dishes. It would be a pity for us to waste them if we can't finish them."

Mrs. Feng was happy today. She waved her hand and said, "Then make less. Each dish doesn't have a lot of portions. You still have to drink, so you can drink while you eat. It's no problem if you can't finish it."

Xia Li wanted to say something, but Mai Dong had already handed the chopsticks to her and greeted her warmly:
"Just sit down and eat. It's just a few dishes and not that expensive. Try this cold wild vegetable first. My mother dug it from the mountains. You can't get such fresh vegetables in the mansion."

After she finished her words, she drank the wine in the glass. The mellow aroma made her enjoy it so much that she squinted her eyes and raised her thumb to praise:
"This wine tastes great. I've never tasted anything so mellow and fragrant. You should make more next time."

Xia Li chewed some wild vegetables and said in a relaxed tone, "Maybe it's more to your taste. If you like it, drink more. You don't have to leave any for me."

Maidong raised his head and drank another cup. Xia Li was very interested in this wild vegetable. She asked softly, "Are these wild vegetables everywhere in the mountains? I want to dig some shepherd's purse and bring it back to make dumplings for grandma."

Mai Dong raised his lips slightly, and said in a brisk voice: "They are all over the mountains. If you have nothing to do later, I will go to the mountains with you to dig."

Xia Li was always extra cautious about places she had never been to. She said in a low voice, "We are two girls, going up the mountain alone. We won't run into any wild animals, right?"

Mai Dong's cheeks were slightly red, her eyes were blurry, and the smell of alcohol emanated from her body. She was obviously in a state of tipsiness. She said indifferently:
"There are no ferocious beasts here. We just don't need to go deep into the mountains. Just follow me and don't worry."

Xia Li didn't expect her to be so fast. Seeing that the small jar of wine was only half full, he quickly reminded her: "If you drink any more, you will get drunk. Hurry and eat a few more bites of food."

Mai Dong was afraid that Xia Li would put the wine away, so he quickly reached out to grab the wine next to him and said with a thick tongue: "I just got drunk, but my mind is clear. Just let me drink without worry."

Xia Li thought that this was her home, and even if he was drunk, he would just fall asleep, so she didn't stop him.

No one disturbed her, so Maidong drank very happily. The half jar of wine was soon finished. She felt dizzy and lay on the coffee table. Soon she fell asleep. Xia Li was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, so he had to call Feng to take care of her.

Although Feng came in and kept scolding Mai Dong, her words were full of love and care for Mai Dong. Whether she was wiping her face or changing her clothes, she was always extra gentle and careful. The motherly love in her eyes made Xia Li envious.

After all the Ophiopogon japonicus had been prepared, Xia Li said hello to Feng and said he was going to the mountains to pick wild vegetables.

In this spring season, many people go up the mountain to pick wild vegetables. Feng did not stop them. She handed Xia Li a small shovel and a bamboo basket and carefully reminded him, "Don't go deep into the mountain. There are a lot of wild vegetables at the foot of the mountain. Remember to come back early. If you haven't returned in an hour, I will send someone to the mountain to find you."

Xia Li nodded slightly while holding the bamboo basket, and said in a brisk voice: "Aunt, just relax, I will be back soon."

Feng had heard Maidong praise Xia Li, and she also knew how dignified and steady she was, so she felt very confident in her.

After Xia Li came out of Zhou's house, he walked straight towards the mountain path. The warm spring sun shone on people, as if it could dispel all the coldness. The earth was full of vitality, and Xia Li enjoyed the freedom at the moment.

She walked and looked until she saw the lush green wild vegetables at the foot of the mountain. Suddenly she could not walk anymore. She squatted down and carefully dug the roots with a shovel, thinking of various ways to cook them.

When she was tired of digging, she sat on the ground. Anyway, she had to change clothes every day. Before she knew it, she had dug from the foot of the mountain to the middle of the mountain. The small path she had trampled out before disappeared further up. She didn't know if it was because the old lady stayed at the farm for a while, but she didn't see anyone else digging wild vegetables. There was no one around, and Xia Li didn't dare to go any further. When she was about to go down the mountain with a basket of wild vegetables, she looked up and saw blood flowing under the big rock halfway up the mountain. The dark red blood mixed with the soil was not conspicuous, but Xia Li did a lot of embroidery and was particularly sensitive to colors, so she could recognize it at a glance.

She subconsciously held her breath and hesitated whether to go forward. After all, with such a large amount of bleeding, if someone was really injured here, he would be in danger. Although Xia Li was sober and rational, he was not a cold-blooded person.

She put the bamboo basket on the ground and quietly took out a dagger from her bosom. Ever since what happened with Zhu Da, she had developed the habit of carrying a dagger with her. She walked lightly and slowly approached the big rock. The closer she got, the stronger the smell of blood she could smell.

Xia Li searched carefully and found a young man in navy blue military uniform in the bushes next to the big rock. He had his head tilted to the side with cold and hard facial lines, his eyes closed and he was unconscious, with blood oozing from his waist and abdomen.

Xia Li knew he was a soldier just by looking at his clothes. As long as he was not a roving bandit, the danger would be much less. However, she had never heard of a garrison camp nearby, so she had to ask her grandma when she got back.

Xia Li took a step closer and tentatively kicked his leg, but the other party did not respond. Xia Li cautiously waited for a while, making sure that he had really lost consciousness, then squatted down to check the wound.

The knife wounds on his body looked hideous, so Xia Li had to use her own shoulder strap and silk handkerchief to bandage them briefly to prevent the blood from flowing out and attracting wild beasts to bite him.

Just as she fastened her sleeves and stood up, the unconscious man suddenly reached out and grabbed her throat, trying to break her neck without saying anything. For the first time, Xia Li felt that she was so close to death. She struggled desperately and said with a weak breath, "I just wanted to save you..."

The man looked at Xia Li unmoved. Even though her face was flushed, the man frowned at the sight of her and subconsciously loosened his grip.

Xia Li seized the opportunity to break free from the grip, fell to the ground, and rolled back several steps. She quickly took out the dagger and raised it, scolding loudly:
"You are such an ungrateful villain that you can't even tell good from bad and even want to kill your life saver. Are you crazy?"

After hearing what Xia Li said, the man subconsciously glanced at his abdomen. The blood-stained object vaguely looked like a woman's. He opened his thin lips and said in a hoarse voice, "I'm sorry, this is an instinctive reaction. Thank you for saving me, young lady."

His resolute face showed the experience of a lifetime, and his whole body was filled with a cold aura that should not be underestimated. Xia Li had never seen a young man with such a strong presence.

He made people feel dangerous. Xia Li instinctively wanted to escape. She said in a deep voice: "I don't know who you are, and I can't remember your face. Can you just let me go and pretend nothing happened?"

Kuang Chengrui stood up with one hand. Even though he was injured at the moment, his physique was still as strong as a ferocious lion, mighty and powerful, and capable of taking lives at any time.

He remained silent, looking at Xia Li's face with extremely penetrating eyes, and asked in a cold voice: "Have you ever been abducted? Do you have a crescent-shaped birthmark on your waist and abdomen?"

Xia Li was on guard against his sneak attack. When he suddenly heard him ask this question, he was surprised and nodded subconsciously. Kuang Chengrui then asked: "Do you still remember your name? Do you have any relatives?"

Xia Li didn't believe it could be such a coincidence, and said blankly: "I only remember that my last name is Fang..."

Kuang Chengrui looked at her with a complex look that was difficult for people to understand. He said in a low voice, "You look very similar to an elder in my family. Her little girl was abducted and she has been looking for her for many years."

Xia Li's heartbeat suddenly accelerated. She pursed her lips and looked at the man, thinking about how to respond. As if seeing Xia Li's concerns, Kuang Chengrui said calmly, "If you are doing well and don't want to be found by your family, I will just pretend that I have never seen you and never mention what happened today."

Xia Li looked at him with scrutiny, and after a moment's contemplation, she instinctively felt that this man was not lying. She wanted to try her luck, so she looked up and looked directly into Kuang Chengrui's eyes, and said seriously, "I was sold to the Duke of Liang's mansion as a maid. Now I want to get rid of my slavery and seek freedom. Can my family help me?"

Kuang Chengrui was not surprised by her experience. He said solemnly:

"Whose master do you serve? I will notify your family to pick you up as soon as possible."

Xia Li was a little confused by the high efficiency. She subconsciously said, "I work for the old lady..."

Kuang Chengrui nodded slightly, and said with a hint of severity in his tone:

"Don't take risks next time, don't tell anyone about what happened today, and don't leave the house casually during this period of time. Kyoto is not peaceful."

Xia Li's thoughts were all on the matter of recognizing her relatives, and she didn't think deeply about his words. She just nodded slightly in agreement. Kuang Chengrui was quite satisfied with her attitude.

Suddenly, he noticed someone approaching and said very quickly:

"The people who are looking for you are here. Hurry down and wait patiently. Don't worry about anything else. Remember to protect yourself!"

Before Xia Li could react, his figure disappeared into the depths of the jungle. If it weren't for the bloodstain on the ground, she would really have suspected that she was dreaming.

Voices were calling from far away, "Miss Xiali... Miss Xiali... where are you?"

Xia Li didn't have time to think deeply, so he turned around and walked down the mountain, saying loudly: "I'm here, I'll be there soon..."

Manager Zhou personally led the servant to come over. When he saw Xia Li standing there in good health, he breathed a sigh of relief. He panted and said:
"Miss Xia Li, I'm so sorry. It's all my wife's fault for not knowing the limits. The mountain has been closed for the past few days, and outsiders are not allowed to go up the mountain to hunt and dig wild vegetables. It will be difficult for you if you get lost alone."

Xia Li looked normal, and said softly, "Thank you for your concern, Manager Zhou. I was digging wild vegetables halfway up the mountain without realizing it. I saw that there was no road ahead, so I was about to turn back. Has Maidong woken up?"

Speaking of his daughter, Manager Zhou said with a smile: "That girl is still not sober. She can drink a glass of wine and will get drunk even if she drinks too much apricot blossom glutinous rice wine. However, she will be fine after a good sleep. It's nothing serious."

The two men talked as they walked down the mountain, and no one noticed the bloodstain. When the blood dried or was licked by small animals, there would be no trace left.

Xia Li was not in the mood to visit Maidong. She sent the wild vegetables to the kitchen, told the cook how to cook them, and then returned to her room with a heavy heart.

She could tell that the man was a military commander, but his uniform was not of the Kyoto style. There were no troops stationed here, so he must have come from outside. She had no idea whether he was carrying out the mission alone or had a large group of troops camped somewhere else.

Xia Li always had a frightened feeling. She had to get rid of her slavery and gain freedom as soon as possible, otherwise something might happen.

　The male protagonist is online, the husband is prosperous and the wife is noble, the two are united, and the setting of rising step by step...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)