It started to rain in Bianjing City. Although it was just a gentle drizzle, half - built Aoshan lanterns on the Imperial Street were still soaked. The craftsmen hurriedly pulled up tarpaulins to cover them, and even the auxiliary troops were mobilized to help.
Firecracker debris and remnants of fireworks were mixed in the mud. The peddlers selling lanterns huddled in twos and threes under the eaves on the roadside. The bustling streets that should have been lively during the first lunar month suddenly took on a touch of desolation in the rain.
The moist smell of rain permeated the air. Shen Miao sat behind the counter, the abacus beads clicking noisily.
Taking advantage of the free time, she thoroughly checked last year's accounts.
Since opening the shop, the average monthly turnover of her shop had reached about one hundred and fifty strings of cash. By the end of the year, the total turnover of Shen's shop had exceeded one thousand three hundred and fifty strings.
Among them, the gross profit accounted for sixty percent of the annual turnover, and the net profit was about forty - five percent. The cost of dishes and grains accounted for thirty percent, seasonings and consumables accounted for three percent, oil expenses accounted for two percent. In winter, the prices of firewood and charcoal rose, and together they accounted for three percent.
The labor costs of Youyu, Tao, Tang Er, and Fu Xing accounted for twelve percent. Additionally, a total of five percent in taxes needed to be paid.
Coupled with the extra income from cooking at customers' homes (the Feng family contributed the most), Shen Miao had actually earned about two thousand strings of cash since last year.
Compared with later times, the profits here were even more considerable. After all, the labor costs and various other expenses in later times were much higher than at this time. Here, since she didn't need to pay the "five social insurances and one housing fund" for her employees, she saved quite a bit of money.
Shen Miao thought to herself that during festivals and when giving year - end bonuses in the future, she should give them more money. Now that the fast - food restaurant had opened, she also had to work hard to earn more money to raise their monthly wages.
After a little thought, she subconsciously began to ponder the annual salary increase rate for salary management. Should it be set at five percent or ten percent... After all, it was wrong to wait for employees to raise the issue of a salary increase when they couldn't bear it anymore.
Taking the initiative to raise salaries made a good boss.
Although in this world, human labor was considered the cheapest, Shen Miao still decided to do so.
People were often described as worthless like grass, but in her eyes, humans were not like plants. She truly cherished everyone around her from the bottom of her heart. As the boss, the way she treated her employees could be clearly felt from the smooth and efficient operation of the shop.
Shen Miao closed the ledger and looked back at the kitchen. Tang Er, Fu Xing, and Tao were secretly "working overtime".
Chopping, slicing, and washing vegetables, they had often gotten up early since the seventh day of the first lunar month to help her prepare ingredients for group meals. Now they were very proficient at it. Although Shen Miao always told them and the children to go out and play, since there wasn't much business in the shop, she could handle the ingredient preparation herself slowly.
Tao buried her head in sorting vegetables and said softly, "We've had enough fun. It's time to get back to work."
Tang Er, with a swift motion of his knife, was quickly slicing meat and chimed in, "How could we let the lady work alone while we enjoy ourselves here? There's no such principle in the world."
Fu Xing, who was boiling the regular soup on one side, also said, "We're just sitting around anyway. By giving her a hand, the lady can finish the work faster."
Later, even Ji Brother came to help.
With them around, Shen Miao's burden had been much lightened. Moreover, they had temporarily hired two idle men outside to help with food delivery. Besides her own Eleventh Young Master, they had also rented a donkey cart. After the Lantern Festival, when they hired a cook, the fast - food restaurant would be able to operate independently.
Shen Miao had already signed a lease for the half - shop. Since she didn't need the back house, the monthly rent was only twenty strings of cash, which fit her budget perfectly.
Actually, the profit from group meals was not low. In her previous life, when Shen Miao was doing group meals, the profit was often split in half. Because there was no need for a large shop, as long as there was a kitchen, two or three aunts to cook, and someone to deliver the food, it was enough. Moreover, the more compartments and the finer the division of the lunch boxes, the more delicate they looked, but in fact, the less food they could hold. The meals were priced affordably because the cost itself was low enough. Even when the labor cost in later times was several times higher than at this time, she had once had a monthly turnover of one hundred thousand during the peak season.
But she wasn't among the best. It was rumored that some of her friends who were extremely good at catering marketing had even had an income of one hundred and sixty thousand in a month. [Note]
In fact, many seemingly ordinary small stalls and shops were very profitable.
In the small town where Shen Miao grew up, there was a small stall selling steamed buns by the roadside, with a monthly income of twenty to thirty thousand. In that economically underdeveloped town, this income exceeded that of most civil servants and corporate employees. However, this kind of ordinary business was really hard. One had to get up before dawn to knead dough and make buns.
Come to think of it, for ordinary people living in the world, was there any easy way to live? In the so - called "beacon country" across the ocean, there were still many people working two jobs a day but still struggling to keep their houses.
It was already a stroke of luck if one could get more by working more. Shen Miao was already very content. She loved her current life.
The current state of the fast - food restaurant was a bit hasty, just because of the shortage of staff. But the first lunar month was a good opportunity to open up the market. Since other restaurants were closed, it was a good time for Shen Miao to make a move.
Now she already had orders for about fifty servings from the auxiliary troops and about thirty servings from the Kaifeng Prefecture Yamen. In the entertainment district (Wazi), she had also gone to negotiate with the well - connected short - toothed broker. Although the exact number of people ordering group meals hadn't been reported yet, there would surely be dozens of servings. Although the number of diners wasn't fixed every day, with some people eating one day and not the next, there would be some fluctuations, but generally, it would stay within the range of seventy to eighty servings.
After the fast - food restaurant had all its staff in place and gradually got on track, Shen Miao thought its profit should not be lower than that of the noodle shop.
Shen Miao also asked Tang Er to go to the outer - city water gate to find Aunt Nian. She made an agreement with her that in the future, Aunt Nian would deliver the food in the Wazi. In this way, Aunt Nian wouldn't have to work hard sewing and washing clothes, and she wouldn't have to soak her hands in cold water in winter. The food - delivery job was relatively easier, and Shen Miao offered her a salary five cash higher than what she used to earn in the Wazi every day.
Aunt Nian had agreed. If Shen Miao's fast - food restaurant kitchen hadn't needed to be renovated, she would have wanted to come back to work with Tang Er that very day.
The new shop needed to have a new stove built. She had also customized two huge iron pots with a diameter of 2 chi 2 (70 cm) from the blacksmith shop, just like those used at rural banquets in later times. One could stir - fry enough dishes for 50 - 70 people at a time, and the matching spatulas were more than 4 chi (1.5 meters) long. However... the cook she was looking for would probably have to be an extremely strong man, as an ordinary person really couldn't wave such a spatula.
At that time, the short - toothed broker was originally sitting at home with his legs crossed, leisurely teasing the birds. But he was suddenly dragged by Shen Miao to do business. Later, when he heard her requirements for hiring a cook, he exclaimed that it was killing him. However, he still readily agreed to look for someone for her after the Lantern Festival.
By the way, Shen Miao also pasted the words "Recruitment" on the door of her own shop with paste.
After settling the accounts, Shen Miao went into the kitchen to get busy.
Outside, the rain was pattering down. Sister Xiang and the cats and dogs couldn't go out to play.
But the yard was quiet, which made Shen Miao warily poke her head out to take a look.
When children are quiet, they must be up to no good.
Sure enough, under the old osmanthus tree, which had lost a lot of its leaves in winter, there were many puddles due to the rain. The rain was gentle, like a mist. Several children wearing bamboo hats and holding umbrellas, along with two dogs, were playing with mud.
Normally, this would have been normal, but somehow, someone started it, and they began to smear mud on each other, secretly having a great time. When Shen Miao discovered them, Chen Chuan, Sister Xiang, and the two dogs were all covered in mud spots. Their bedraggled appearance made her feel dizzy.
Fortunately, there was no shortage of hot water in the kitchen at home. She put her hands on her hips, called the people and the dogs over, then turned around and fetched a basin of water for them to clean themselves.
Lei Ting and Zhuifeng knew they had made a mistake. Their dog - eyes kept glancing at Shen Miao, and they tucked their tails between their legs.
Sister Xiang pulled Chen Chuan and didn't dare to make a sound. They stood hand in hand in front of Shen Miao and obediently wiped their faces and hands with handkerchiefs. Even their hair was clumped together.
"Sister Xiang, did you drag Xiao Chuan into this nonsense again? It's already cold. How dare you play with mud on a rainy day," Shen Miao said while wringing out the handkerchief to wipe the dogs. She glared at Sister Xiang. "He's going to study law under Lawyer Deng tomorrow. Does it look decent to go there all dirty? And we can't take a bath at this time."
When Shen Miao invited Lawyer Deng to the yamen to discuss business, she casually mentioned Chen Chuan's talent in law to Lawyer Deng. She praised Chen Chuan to the skies. At that time, Lawyer Deng didn't say much. But later, he specially picked a day to come and have a look at him. He tested him on several legal regulations, and seeing that Chen Chuan recited them all very smoothly, and after looking at the characters he had taught himself, he agreed to let Shen Miao send the child to Xingguo Temple in the first lunar month to be his apprentice from then on.
He would teach him to write, do arithmetic, draft contracts, and write pleadings. In the future, he could also take the specialized lawsuit - related exams. Once he passed and grew up, he could officially enter the profession. Although being a lawyer required careful management of relationships with the yamen, it was a very decent and well - paying profession.
In those days, Chen Chuan had been very happy. Even his usually poker - faced face showed a smile. He even found the clothes he was going to wear tomorrow and asked Tao to iron them with the bottom of a teapot. It was obvious that he was very looking forward to it.
Shen Miao usually didn't care much about their pranks, but now that the perfume shop wasn't open yet, it was not easy to wash their dirty heads.
Sister Xiang observed Shen Miao's expression and found that her elder sister wasn't really angry. She then whispered, pulling on Shen Miao's sleeve and pleading cutely, "I was afraid that once Xiao Chuan went to Lawyer Deng's place, he'd have to recite books all day and have no time to play, so I took him to play. Sister, don't punish him by taking away his candy. Punish me instead." After a pause, she added softly, "Okay?"
In the past, when Sister Xiang and Chen Chuan were naughty, Shen Miao would confiscate their snacks. When Chen Chuan first came, it was hard to tell what he liked or disliked. At that time, he was in poor health and very timid. But later, perhaps influenced by Sister Xiang, he now especially liked candy. He carried one or two pieces of candy in his pocket every day and often slept with candy in his hand at night.
Actually, she was worried that the two children would catch a cold from playing too wildly. There were no vaccines at this time, and a cold was really uncomfortable and one had to endure it on their own. So, she put on a stern face and scolded Sister Xiang a few more times, just to let them know that they should also pay attention to their health when playing: "Don't always use your cuteness to fool your sister. You're not allowed to play like this again next time, do you understand? If you really catch a cold, you'll both have to drink bitter medicine. Wouldn't that be even more uncomfortable?"
As a result, after hearing this, Sister Xiang suddenly held up the corner of the clothes she was holding and pouted discontentedly, saying, "Why did you agree when Ninth Brother pulled your sleeve and acted cute, but you won't for me? Sister, you're being partial."
Shen Miao's face instantly flushed red: "What? What did you say?"
"Ninth Brother also pulled your sleeve and acted cute at that time. I saw it clearly!"
Shen Miao's eyes widened, and her whole face was burning hot. Usually, when bargaining and marketing outside, she could talk non - stop for half an hour without a hitch. But at this moment, she was so shocked that she stammered: "Y - y - y - y - you... How could you have seen that! Weren't you going skating at that time!"
"We were going to, but Liu Douhua said that her family had just made a board of tofu and specially set aside some tofu curds. Her mother had also boiled brown sugar syrup. Pouring it on the tofu curds and mixing in some white sugar was so delicious. She asked us to eat it before going. So we went to her house to eat and then went to play," Sister Xiang covered her mouth and snickered. "After we were full and went out, Yan Shu tilted his head and said he seemed to hear Ninth Brother's voice. So we all lay on the outside of the door crack and peeked."
So at that time, outside the courtyard door, one head on top of another, a string of children with bright eyes were peeping at her and Ninth Brother...
The sky was falling.
Shen Miao didn't dare to imagine how embarrassing that scene was.
"It's okay, sister. I've told them not to talk about it outside," Sister Xiang patted her chest bravely. "I've made it clear that they're not allowed to say a word until you and Ninth Brother get married. Gou Er and Liu Douhua have sworn an oath in front of me. Sister, you can rest assured."
"Get married! When did I say I was going to get married?" Shen Miao was so embarrassed that she was angry and laughed instead. She reached out to pinch her chubby face and also pinched the snickering Chen Chuan beside her.
"Sister, then why did you agree to him by saying 'yes'? You're acting like a heartless person in the opera," Sister Xiang rubbed her face and then whispered, getting closer. Acting like a little adult, she said, "But... Sister, even if you're a heartless person, you're still my sister. Then we won't talk to Ninth Brother from now on."
"... Thank you," Shen Miao's steps were unsteady.
"You're welcome!"
After Shen Miao finished cooking the big - pot dishes and the idlers took the meals away, she was still in a daze from the sudden social embarrassment.
She sat in the empty shop. Seeing a thick, fluffy tail standing up swaying beside the table and chairs, she casually grabbed Qilin, who was patrolling his territory, and hugged him in her arms. She stroked the cat and quietly looked at the street outside under the rain curtain.
The Bianjing City immersed in the rain and mist had a particularly gentle beauty, and she was soon lost in the sight.
Sister Xiang and Chen Chuan had gone back into the room to dry their hair. Shen Miao heard Sister Xiang asking Chen Chuan which female general was the most powerful. She suddenly remembered the jade dagger that General Xi had left for Sister Xiang. Shen Miao found two red strings, strung the dagger up, and put it into the small wooden box where Sister Xiang kept her "treasures".
Shen Miao also learned about the agreement between General Xi and Sister Xiang because of this.
When she first heard about this, there was indeed a little bit of worry in her heart: Fighting in battles and guarding the border was so hard. And the swords and arrows were merciless. What if something unexpected happened?
But this thought had just emerged in her heart when it melted away in Sister Xiang's bright eyes. When she held up the jade dagger and showed it to Shen Miao, her eyes sparkled like black grapes with dewdrops. She said proudly, "Brother is wrong. General Xi said that it doesn't matter if one is fat or can't climb trees. He said I'm brave and have a talent for being a general."
Since she didn't recognize the character "Xi", she called Xi Feijing General Xi.
"General Xi also said that when Ninth Brother comes back, I can learn martial arts from him," she counted all her playmates one by one on her fingers. "Liu Douhua likes making tofu. Chen Chuan can recite laws. Brother is good at studying and will take the imperial examinations to become a Jinshi. Gou Er said the private school teacher thought he didn't have enough talent to pass the examination for a Xiucai, so he will become an accountant in the future. When they used to ask, 'What about you, Sister Xiang?' I could never answer. But now..."
Sister Xiang tightly grasped the jade dagger, then smiled and spread her arms as she circled around Shen Miao. She really looked like a bird about to take off. "Sister, I can answer now. I will become the most powerful female general in the Great Song Dynasty in the future!"
Shen Miao was stunned for a moment and then smiled.
She was really being over - anxious. It was Sister Xiang's life, and she should be happy for her.
Whether it was a bitter or sweet life, the most important thing was to be willing.
So after that, she put this matter out of her mind. Sister Xiang was still young. At this time, she wanted to be a female general and learn martial arts. No matter what the future held, it was worth encouraging. As an elder sister, whether Sister Xiang would really go to the border in the future or not, it was enough for her to be the home that Sister Xiang could always look back to.
Children who grew up by her side would always fly away.
She had heard people say that a child's growth was a process of separation from the very beginning, and the first ones to see them off were those who nurtured them. It sounded a bit sad, but perhaps only in this way could the grown - up children live their own unique lives.
Whether as parents or as an elder sister, one had to let go properly. It was like flying a kite. In the end, holding the last bit of the string in one's hand, one had to let go and watch her fly alone in the distance.
Shen Miao stroked Qilin's back fur, and her shy thoughts were carried away by the hazy rain.
The New Year was almost over. Ninth Brother should be having a lively time in Chenzhou. The Xie clan had a large number of people. Maybe he would spend the whole day on the first day of the Lunar New Year paying New Year greetings and would be so tired that his feet would ache.
When she passed by Chenzhou on the way to Bianjing, it was an old and simple city. The water - milled blue stone slabs on the streets were pitted, the eaves were low, and there were many fields planted with fresh and brightly - colored daylilies.
It was not as bustling as Bianjing, but it was also a prosperous place.
For some reason, she suddenly thought of Ninth Brother again. She had been very busy before. After finishing her work every day, she would just fall asleep. Her mind was simple. Now, just a bit of rain had stirred up a trace of nostalgia in her.
"Qilin, do you miss Ninth Brother?" She picked Qilin up vertically, holding it under its forearms, and looked into its shiny eyes. She asked in a low and quiet voice, "You can't tell this to others, but I can ask you."
Unexpectedly, it suddenly stretched its neck, shook its ears, and then moved its nose. Then it wriggled and struggled, meowing as it ran out.
"Hey, Qilin, you can't go out."
Shen Miao quickly stood up and chased after it outside the shop, but her steps gradually slowed down and then stopped.
Qilin didn't run far. It meowed and pawed at the legs of a bay horse in front of the door, trying to climb up. The rider dismounted neatly and landed steadily on the ground. He first picked up the cat in his arms and then looked up at Shen Miao with a smile.
Shen Miao was a bit stunned.
Xie Qi, with his horse, seemed to have emerged from the hazy rain.
But looking closely, one could see that under his wind - cap, his fair face was covered with a thin layer of sand. His hair in the bun was in a mess, and the fine strands of hair were wet with rain, falling softly on his ears. His hands and face were even red from the cold.
There was no Yan Shu beside him. Maybe Yan Shu, Zhou Da and the others were still behind.
Only he had rushed back on horseback through the wind and rain without caring.
Shen Miao lifted her skirt and wanted to step forward, but Xie Qi, holding the cat in one hand, stepped forward to meet her. He blocked her under the eaves and lowered his eyelashes still dripping with raindrops. "Don't get wet in the rain."
It was clearly a cold and damp day, but there seemed to be a fire burning in her heart. She looked up at him slightly and stared at him intently. The raindrops on his eyelashes were refracted by the daylight and gradually wet his eyelashes. The eyelashes clumped together, making his eyes even more distinct, and his gaze was moist.
"Why are you in such a hurry?" Shen Miao finally shifted her gaze first and asked softly, without any context.
But Xie Qi understood. He just continued to look at her without saying a word.
When he said goodbye to Shen Miao before the New Year, he didn't tell her when he would return. But after the New Year, although he didn't show it on the surface, he felt impatient inside. He was like a person sitting on a hot pot, having no interest in anything.
In Chenzhou, looking at the snow - covered courtyard while sitting in the corridor, he thought of Shen's small courtyard. The branches of the osmanthus tree should be bent under the snow. Qilin and Lei Ting must have nestled in the charcoal brazier in the quilt and fallen asleep. He could hardly recognize what kind of animal the snowman made by Sister Xiang was... He thought of all the people and things in the Shen family one by one, but he didn't dare to think too much about the person he cared about.
Otherwise, he was afraid he couldn't help but want to see her.
But after enduring day after day, he still couldn't hold it back.
At first, when he took a carriage out of the city gate of Chenzhou, he suspected that Zhou Da's driving skills had declined. Why was he driving so slowly? Then he simply rode a horse ahead by himself and told them to take their time and not to rush to catch up with him. Even when galloping on the horseback, he still hoped that the horse under him could grow eight legs and run faster, even faster.
The closer he got to Bianjing, the faster his heart beat.
Finally, when he stopped in front of Shen's Noodle Shop and saw Shen Miao, all his restlessness and uneasiness disappeared the moment their eyes met. Even his frozen and numb hands and feet gradually warmed up, as if boiling blood was flowing through every inch of his body. Yes, his body was more honest than his heart.
After getting off the horse, the wind brought the smell of rain and the smell of food on Shen Miao's body.
He even seemed to smell the faint pungency of ginger. Shen Miao must have been cutting ginger just now.
Xie Qi couldn't help but smile.
The two of them stood face to face in front of the door, being blown by the wind for a while. Shen Miao couldn't stand it anymore. She randomly patted the water off Xie Qi's body and waved her hand. "Come in quickly and warm up. You are really... Your whole body is wet. Did you bring any extra clothes?"
Xie Qi obediently followed and replied honestly, "All my clothes are behind. They probably won't arrive until tomorrow. But there are still a few sets of clothes in the house in the West Alley. I'll go back and get them."
Shen Miao took a deep breath. "If you don't mind, I'll send Tang Er to get them. Don't catch a cold after getting wet in the rain and then being blown by the wind. Go into the room and warm yourself by the fire. Don't move around."
Xie Qi naturally agreed and quickly took out the key.
He didn't mind at all.
On rainy days, it gets dark quickly. The sky was dim. Before long, Xie Qi changed into dry clothes and was pushed by Shen Miao into the kotatsu. Warmly, he found himself in the small courtyard of the Shen family, filled with the aura and traces of Lady Shen everywhere.
He hugged Qilin, who was as warm as a little hand warmer, and turned to look at Lady Shen, who was standing on tiptoe, using a long bamboo pole to light the lanterns. He couldn't help but say, "Let me hang them."
Shen Miao turned her head and raised her hand to stop him. "Don't move. Just sit there."
Xie Qi, who had just lifted his buttocks, had no choice but to sit back down.
The lights in the small courtyard of the Shen family gradually came on, and his heart was completely at ease.
After calming down, hunger welled up from the depths of his body.
He hadn't eaten properly for two days. Coincidentally, there came the gurgling sound of bone soup boiling in the pot from the kitchen.
Xie Qi's stomach also let out an embarrassing gurgle.
He quickly covered his abdomen.
Unexpectedly, Shen Miao, with her sharp ears, heard it. She smiled, put down the bamboo pole, and went to light another lantern. Looking back, she said, "We'll have a miscellaneous hot pot tonight. It's ready. I'll go and bring it out later."
How embarrassing! Xie Qi blushed, not knowing where to put his hands and feet, but still pretended to be calm and nodded in response. "Thank you."
When Shen Miao lit the lantern under the front porch, he finally mustered up the courage to look over again.
She was wearing a long red outer robe with fur trim. The white rabbit fur at the collar framed her softly - contoured jaw. She was standing on tiptoe to light the lantern, and when she tilted her head back, a slender section of her neck was slightly exposed. The lantern was held above Lady Shen's head, and the flickering light of the candle enveloped her.
She was bathed in the warm light that dispelled the gloom.
Xie Qi's gaze gradually moved up along with the candlelight and slowly landed on the hairpin in her hair.
It was a white jade hairpin in the shape of floating clouds, hidden among her hair.
Xie Qi lowered his eyes and smiled.
After hanging the lantern, Shen Miao clapped her hands and jumped down. She didn't notice Xie Qi's shy look, as if he were a bashful young bride who wished to lower her head and twist a handkerchief. She went straight into the kitchen and carried out the casserole.
On such a damp, cold winter day, a miscellaneous hot pot was just the thing. A fresh soup base was made with pork bone soup and chicken frames. Then, fried meatballs, fried tofu, mushrooms, Chinese cabbage, dried bean curd sticks, white radishes, black fungus, spiced meat slices, and quail eggs were added and simmered for ten minutes before it was ready to eat. The soup was extremely delicious.
Among them, the fried meatballs were especially worth mentioning.
Ginger and scallion water, eggs, minced ginger, starch, five - spice powder and other seasonings were added to the minced pork and stirred until it became sticky. When the oil in the pan was about 80% hot, the meatballs were dropped in and fried until they were golden with a slight tiger - skin - like brownish color, then they were fished out. They were delicious either eaten alone with sauce or soaked in the soup in the hot pot.
Scallions were sprinkled on top. While it was still boiling, the casserole was brought out and placed on the kotatsu table to keep it warm.
The light rain was dripping under the eaves, and the corridor was filled with steam.
Before eating himself, Xie Qi fished out a quail egg, carefully blew on it to cool it down, broke it open, and then fed it to Qilin.
Qilin was lying on his lap. It stuck out its pink tongue and rolled the egg into its mouth, purring and meowing while eating. It was really busy gobbling up the egg.
Lei Ting and Zhuifeng also had their hot soup and hot food. Shen Miao specially cooked a piece of meaty bone for them without adding salt. The two dogs were also eating with loud smacking sounds.
Fu Xing warmed up the Tusui wine and served each person a bowl. Drinking Tusui wine in the first lunar month was a custom that had been passed down since the Tang Dynasty. It was said to have been brewed by Mr. Sun Simiao and could prevent typhoid.
Gu Tusu, who lived across the street, got his name because he was born in the first lunar month and his family was in the wine - brewing business.
Tao led Xie Qi's Roussillon horse into the donkey shed and tied it side by side with Eleventh Young Master Shen. There was no stable in the Shen family. If it didn't stay with Eleventh Young Master, it would get wet in the rain outside and was more likely to get sick.
"Sorry about this. Just make do with Eleventh Young Master for now," Tao patted the horse on the back and then came back to have the hot pot.
The Roussillon horse lowered its head and walked into the donkey shed. When it straightened its neck, its forehead hit the roof of the shed. It had no choice but to lower its head again.
Turning its head sideways, it saw a donkey wearing a donkey hat and a scarf, munching on wheat straws as if there were no other horses around, looking quite content with the rough hay.
The horse snorted in a speechless and disdainful way.
Shen Miao served Xie Qi another bowl of hot soup, piled a large bowl full of vegetables and meatballs, and also told him about the fateful encounter between General Xi and Sister Xiang.
Xie Qi thanked her with red ears. When he took the bowl just now, his fingertips had brushed against Lady Shen's fingers ever so slightly. His heart was pounding at the moment. Hearing Shen Miao mention Xi Feijing, he was a bit stunned. "My uncle?"
"Did he also praise Sister Xiang for being amazing and ask her to learn the Xi family's staff - fighting skills from me?" He then looked down at Sister Xiang sitting beside him. Sister Xiang also looked up at him and grinned.
No wonder! He was wondering why Sister Xiang had been so proactive in sitting beside him today. It was because of this.
Sister Xiang tugged at his corner of the clothes. "Will Ninth Brother be willing to teach me?"
Xie Qi pondered for a while and then firmly nodded. "Since my uncle said so and Sister Xiang is willing to learn, of course I'll teach her whole - heartedly."
Sister Xiang cheered and generously picked up a chopstick of fried meatballs for Xie Qi. "Ninth Brother, you're so kind. Have more. Sister's fried meatballs are so delicious."
Shen Miao was amused and pretended to scold. "Look at this little imp. She's already starting to flatter."
Xie Qi also laughed.
He was also overjoyed in his heart: Wouldn't this mean that he would have a legitimate reason to come to Lady Shen's house every day? Great! He no longer had to wrack his brains every day to come up with excuses like borrowing needles and thread!
