After enduring the cold spell, it truly warmed up in April.
Although there was a lot of rain, each shower made Bianjing greener. By the eighth day before the Buddha Bathing Festival, the area around Jinming Pond was covered in green, and catkins were flying in the wind.
The yellow plums in the suburbs were ripe, and the wheat fields were lush.
The sun was blazing. After noon, Shen Miao, covered in mud, took Yu Xun's oxcart and headed north along the ridge of the wheat field. The wheels rolled in the sun and soon reached the post road, heading back to the inner city.
Today was the day to inspect the completion of the duck farm. After two rounds of careful construction before and after the new year, her duck farm was finally completed today. The walls, fences, duck coops, warehouses, and houses for people to live in were all built.
The pond had been cleaned twice by Yu Xun after the new year, and today was the last time.
Previously, Yu Xun and the day laborers he hired used hoes and shovels to dig out the sludge at the bottom of the pond and piled it on the shore to dry. This dried sludge could be used as fertilizer for the wheat fields. After dredging, the pond would be deeper, which not only increased the water storage capacity but also reduced the germs produced by the decaying sludge.
Later, they came again to repair the pond embankment, surround it with fences and barriers, and deliberately left a gate at the barrier for the ducks to enter and exit. After clearing away the dead branches, fallen leaves, and frozen residual lotus, they re - introduced fresh water. Finally, Yu Xun rowed a boat slowly in the pond and evenly sprinkled lime while rowing.
"Lime can prevent fish diseases," Yu Xun explained softly to Shen Miao when reporting the cost of dozens of kilograms of lime later. Although he didn't understand what water pH was, he had groped out the valuable experience of using lime to adjust water quality and disinfect in his long - term fish - farming practice. Shen Miao thought to herself.
Yu Xun was really good at fish - farming.
A few days after sprinkling the lime, he fished a bunch of calamus, duckweed, snails, and aquatic insects from his own pond for Shen Miao today.
Shen Miao also wanted to see how the duck farm was built, so she took his cart and came here together.
The sun was intense. As Yu Xun threw snails into the water, he said, "The pond water shouldn't be too clear. If it's too clear, there won't be any food for the fish and shrimp, and they'll starve to death. There should also be aquatic plants. Otherwise, when the sun shines directly, the water temperature will rise sharply, and it will drop sharply after sunset. The fish and shrimp are very likely to get sick and die."
Shen Miao listened and helped sprinkle the duckweed, nodding in agreement.
Since he took such good care of the pond, it was no wonder that the fish he supplied were all fat and healthy.
Shen Miao immediately invited him to manage the pond for her in the long - term. He didn't need to stay here every day. Just come to check the water quality once every ten days and observe the water quality and the situation of the fish in a timely manner. She would give him an extra string of cash as a reward for this.
In an era without vaccines, ducks needed clean water, and so did the fish in the pond.
Shen Miao also bought some top - minnows, Chinese whitebaits, bitterlings, loaches, and crucian carp fry from him. She would put them into the pond to raise after the new water in the pond had been left for more than ten days to stabilize the water quality. This was also Yu Xun's suggestion. Since her pond was for raising ducks, there was no need to raise large - sized fish. These small fish were just right.
Especially the Chinese whitebaits. They were small in size, swam quickly, and liked to swim in groups on the upper layer of the water area. This kind of fish was what the ducks could catch by themselves in the water.
On weekdays, to ensure the nutrition of the ducks, fish and loaches could be caught from the pond, chopped up, and mixed with grains as an extra meal. The high - protein fish paste could also ensure the egg - laying amount of the ducks.
She had seen Aunt Li specially buy dead fish from fishmongers, chop them into fish paste, and mix them with grains to feed the ducks. Aunt Li's ducks were all fat and grew well because of this.
In addition to fish - farming, she actually wanted to plant lotus roots in the pond. Then they could have lotus seeds in summer and harvest lotus roots in autumn. According to Yu Xun's theory about water temperature, the broad leaves of the lotus should also provide shade for the ducks in the hot summer, which was beneficial.
However, Shen Miao hadn't decided how many lotus roots to plant yet, because Yu Xun also said, "If the lotus roots are planted too densely, sunlight won't reach the water, and the ducks won't be able to swim freely."
Shen Miao planned to discuss it with Aunt Li after she came back. The lotus - planting time in Bianjing was about a month later than in the south. Usually, it was carried out in late April or May when the weather was warmer, so there was still plenty of time.
Now, everything was ready except for the ducklings.
Shen Miao had asked Tang Er to wait at the water gate of the outer city every day for the past two days, estimating that Aunt Li and Uncle Li were about to come back. They had been away for more than a month.
She wondered how their trip to Jinling had gone.
Shen Miao had been busy with the duck farm recently. Thinking about Aunt Li and the ducklings, she even dreamed of a group of little white ducks swimming in groups on the pond at night.
It was already the Weishi period when she returned to Yangliu East Alley. Shen Miao stepped into her home wearing straw sandals covered in mud.
The yard was very peaceful and leisurely.
After the weather warmed up, the cotton cushions and the foot warmer in the front porch were put away. They were replaced with softer and cooler bamboo mats. The thick cotton curtain on the door, which was used to block the wind, was also removed and replaced with a thin and ventilated reed curtain.
There were a few futons casually thrown on the porch, and a low table was placed there.
Chen Chuan and Uncle Xie were sitting around the low table, reading. Uncle Xie, just like teaching his own nephews, held a red brush and carefully marked the characters Chen Chuan had written today. Every time he marked a well - written character, he would also point out in detail which stroke was excellently written. Chen Chuan stretched his neck and listened attentively.
Uncle Xie had changed into another brocade long gown today. The grass - colored thin satin fabric was embroidered with shiny golden thread patterns of auspicious grasses. As soon as Shen Miao entered the door, she was dazzled by his clothes that sparkled in the sun.
Shen Miao rubbed her eyes, and out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Xie Qi.
He was leaning against the porch pillar, sitting cross - legged at the other end of the low table, dozing off with his head tilted back in the sun. His right hand held a half - rolled book, and his left hand gently rested on the cat in his lap. In the small space formed by his crossed long legs, Qilin was curled up like a glutinous rice ball, sleeping soundly and fitting perfectly between Xie Qi's legs.
The shed was empty. Niu Sanshi had taken the calf to the riverside to graze. The Eleventh Young Master and Shierniang had gone out to deliver meals.
Under the osmanthus tree, Sister Xiang, Yan Shu, and Liu Douhua were using Lei Ting as a pillow, lying on the low bed where the puppies usually sunbathed and playing the grass - fighting game.
Li Gou'er was trying to avoid Zhuifeng, who was enthusiastically pouncing on him. In this family, only Li Gou'er often couldn't resist Zhuifeng's expectant eyes and would always pat its head through his sleeve.
So Zhuifeng also loved to pounce on him.
Li Gou'er endured it for a long time, and finally went to fetch water first. He washed Zhuifeng's mouth and face clean before reluctantly picking it up and stroking its back fur. Zhuifeng obediently lay down and let Li Gou'er stroke it.
Zhuifeng was quite cute when it was obedient occasionally. Li Gou'er couldn't help but stand up for it and said to Sister Xiang, "You always treat Lei Ting better. Zhuifeng will be sad."
"It's not that we don't love it. It just can't change..." Sister Xiang was holding all kinds of grass in her hand. She looked back and suddenly giggled, "It just ate before you came."
Li Gou'er's hand that was stroking Zhuifeng stopped instantly.
At this time, Sister Xiang saw Shen Miao and waved with a smile, "Sister is back."
Shen Miao heard their conversation clearly. She nodded to Sister Xiang and walked into the outside of the kitchen stove, trying hard not to laugh.
She was dirty, so she asked Fu Xing to fetch her a bucket of hot water and planned to go back to her room to have a good scrub. She didn't see Tang Er in the kitchen and asked again, "Did Tang Er go to the outer city to wait for Aunt Li? Why hasn't he come back yet?"
"Yes. I don't know what's going on today. He still hasn't come back..." Fu Xing replied and picked up the wooden bucket, walking out, "Hold it steady, miss. It's a bit heavy."
Shen Miao took the bucket and went into the room.
While washing, she thought to herself, could it be that Aunt Li and the others had arrived, which was why he was late?
She took off her dirty clothes, carefully scrubbed her whole body with hot water, changed into a light green spring shirt, re - combed her hair into a bun, applied mutton fat ointment, and then stuffed the dirty clothes into the bucket.
When she came out, she casually put the pestle and the pig pancreas into the bucket and planned to carry it to the water room to wash.
She felt refreshed all over and was about to go out. Unexpectedly, Yu Xun came back at this time. He was standing outside the courtyard gate, holding several fat shad fish strung together with straw in his hand, "Miss Shen, the shad fish is fat in April. My brother just fished these out of our family's fishpond. Let the miss have a taste of the fresh catch."
Shen Miao had forgotten about this. Yes, the shad fish in April was really a delicious food not to be missed.
Besides shad fish, there were also fat big carp in the spawning season at this time!
"Thank you so much. Then I'll take them. If you have more tomorrow, please send some more to the shop. If there are good big carp and perch, also send some."
"Sure! I'll definitely catch the best ones and send them. The price will be absolutely fair, not a single extra coin." Yu Xun readily agreed with a smile. He was used to sending the good fish from the pond to Miss Shen first. On the one hand, it was to thank her for her kindness, and on the other hand, he could also sell more fish.
Miss Shen should also know his little thoughts, but she didn't expose or mind. Instead, every time she accepted the fish he sent, she would ask him to send more. Previously, the chopped - pepper fish head and fried wind - board fish for the group meals were both recommended by him when he brought the fish, and Miss Shen immediately added these two dishes to the group - meal menu.
Yu Xun didn't want to just supply fish to Miss Shen in summer. He knew that Shen Miao was running a group - meal business and the demand for various vegetables and meats was increasing. He thought about cooperating with Miss Shen all year round. In this way, Miss Shen would get used to the fish he produced in different seasons and find it convenient to buy from him, and she would be less likely to buy fish from other fishmongers. Then his business could last for a long time.
Yu Xun left. Shen Miao put down the wooden bucket full of dirty clothes and picked up the shad in her hand that was still twitching its tail from time to time. Looking at it, she couldn't help thinking of the delicious seafood noodles.
She had once eaten the most delicious seafood fish noodles in Lianjiang, Fuzhou. First, fry the garlic whites, mushrooms, celery roots, and Chinese cabbage with streaky pork that had been fried to give off the fragrance of lard. Fry until the mushrooms were giving off a strong aroma and the Chinese cabbage started to release water. Then, pour a circle of yellow rice wine and fish sauce along the edge of the pot, and add boiling water. When the water boiled again, you could put in the sliced fish, clams, prawns, and squid rings. Add a little salt and MSG, and drizzle with a bit of scallion oil. It would be so delicious that you'd want to swallow your tongue.
The noodles for making the seafood noodles there were also made from fish. The locals would mince the fish into a paste, add flour, salt, and minced ginger, without adding a single drop of water. They would knead the dough until it became elastic, divide it into small pieces, roll them into fish noodle sheets, place them in a steamer, and steam them over high heat for a quarter of an hour. Then, they would roll them up while they were still hot, cut them into strips, dry them for two or three days, and finally cook them in a pot.
These fish noodles would come back to life once they met water. They were very convenient to store and would quickly turn into thick, elastic strips when cooked in the pot.
In the movie "My Life as McDull", the thick noodles that McDull liked to eat were also fish noodles with added fish meat.
However, in Bianjing at this time, seafood such as squid and clams were not common, and the river shrimps hadn't grown up yet. So, the idea of having seafood noodles seemed rather distant.
But Shen Miao didn't lose heart. Although she couldn't have seafood noodles now, she could make hand - beaten fish balls and fish noodles first. Then, in a few days, she could enjoy the delicious fish ball thick noodles.
Shen Miao swallowed her saliva. She put these shad back in the kitchen first and then instructed Fu Xing, "If Tang Er comes back later, tell him to slice two of these shad into sashimi and make incisions on the other two after killing them. Wait for me to come back and steam them. Fu Xing, keep an eye on the time and cook the porridge too."
Fu Xing wiped her hands on her flowery apron and replied, "Okay, don't worry, miss."
She had already planned in her mind that for dinner at home, they would have fish slice porridge, steamed shad, and shad sashimi. When Yu Xun brought fresh carp and perch the next day, she would start making fish balls and fish noodles. Fish balls were best made with perch or Spanish mackerel, and it was best to use freshly killed live fish. In this way, the fish balls would have a firm texture and less fishy smell.
Then, they could introduce the new dish of fish ball thick noodles in the shop.
As spring got warmer, it was not suitable to eat mutton every day, which was easy to cause internal heat. Eating some fish was nutritious and light, just right.
Thinking about the fish balls and fish noodles, Shen Miao casually picked up two small stools and put her arms through the legs of the stools, planning to take them with her to sit on while doing the laundry. She would use the other one to temporarily stack the washed but un - rinsed clothes.
After walking just two steps, she turned her head and saw Sister Xiang, Yan Shu, Liu Douhua, and Li Gou'er squatting in front of the earthen kiln again. She smiled and said loudly, "I've made taro puree baked milk, and you've found out again, haven't you?"
Sister Xiang and Yan Shu turned their heads and grinned at Shen Miao with their eyes bent. Their noses were very sharp. As soon as the fragrant smell of the baked milk and the sweet smell of the taro wafted out, they immediately dropped the grass in their hands and slipped over to the earthen kiln.
"It's not ready yet. It'll take at least another half - quarter of an hour," Shen Miao said. Thinking of the row of small stools that had been placed in front of the earthen kiln for a long time because there were more and more greedy kids, she couldn't help shaking her head with a smile. "Sister is going to do the laundry first. When it's ready, I'll ask Tao to take it out for you to eat."
After saying that, she turned around with the stools hanging on her hands. Then she found that the dirty clothes wooden bucket that had been placed by the courtyard door was no longer on the ground but was being held in someone's hand.
Her gaze moved up.
She saw Xie Qi, and Qilin, who was squatting steadily on his head, pretending to be a big furry hat.
He was wearing a zhi - ju robe in the style of the Wei and Jin Dynasties today. The collar of the robe was maroon, and the base color of the clothes was as white as flying snow, embroidered with a pattern of ten - thousand characters in cyan - blue silk thread. The belt was also maroon. His thin spring clothes fit his tall and slender figure well. Although his clothes were not as expensive and gorgeous as Uncle Xie's, they were very suitable for someone with such a long and slender figure.
Even though he was holding a bucket full of clothes and had two cat paws clasping his forehead, just standing there quietly, he still had an otherworldly air of elegance.
Xie Qi was holding her bucket, and his eyes were wandering. He was looking at the sky and the ground but didn't dare to look at her.
Shen Miao walked over and looked up, wanting to say something. But first, she caught a glimpse of his blushing ears.
There were newly grown short hairs by his temples that couldn't be tied up. Some were tucked behind his ears, and some covered his ears. But the skin on his earlobes was extremely thin. Once it turned red, it was almost translucent. Shen Miao could even clearly see several thin blue veins gradually appearing in the blush.
For some reason, she remembered the embarrassing incident that had happened last month when she accidentally bumped into him. At that time, she instinctively wanted to support herself on his arms to stand steady and step back. But because they were standing too close and she was so flustered that her mind went blank, when she suddenly looked up, her lips rubbed against his Adam's apple.
At that moment, Shen Miao felt as if the air had stood still.
At that time, just like today, a tense blue vein suddenly appeared beside the gently rolling Adam's apple on his neck. Along with the scalding and surging blood under his skin, it extended all the way under his tightly fastened collar.
I wonder if she was seeing things, but she only felt that the small mole on his skin was also tinged with red.
After that day, the conversations between Shen Miao and Xie Qi suddenly became much fewer. The originally habitual and natural way of getting along suddenly seemed like a broken glass lantern. Whenever the two met, they would always feel inexplicably awkward and silent.
However, the more so, it seemed the easier it was to notice, capture, and secretly peek at each other's movements.
This kind of awkwardness lasted until today.
Shen Miao calmly withdrew her gaze and reached out to take the wooden bucket. "I'll go wash the clothes. Give it to me."
"I'll carry it. You're still holding the stool," Xie Qi said as he took half a step to the side. His head bumped into the rain - proof eaves above the courtyard gate, which made Qilin meow discontentedly.
He had to lower his head slightly. His lips moved, but he swallowed back what he was going to say. Then he stepped out of the gate first and headed towards the water room.
Shen Miao clenched her palm and then loosened it. She had no choice but to follow him.
She stared at the young man with the cat on his head in front of her. The cat's tail was still swaying comically behind his head.
Finally, she couldn't help but lower her head and smile.
At this neither - too - early - nor - too - late hour, there was no one in the water room. There was a half - gourd ladle placed in the long, rectangular sink specially built for washing clothes on the left side of the well curb. There was also a wooden brush left there by some family. The bristles of the brush were all curled up from use.
On the stone bricks beside the well, a patch of calabash moss was quietly growing. Its short stems and leaves clung to the thin layer of soil in the brick crevices and trembled at the sound of Shen Miao and Xie Qi's footsteps as they entered one after another.
Xie Qi placed the wooden bucket beside the sink. Then, he silently took Qilin off his head and put it on the ground.
Qilin stood on the ground, shook its fur, and stretched. Then it squatted in place and licked its paws. After licking for a few times, it suddenly spotted a butterfly. It left the two of them behind and excitedly chased after the butterfly.
Xie Qi turned around and walked to the well to draw water for her.
He brought the water over and wordlessly filled the sink.
Shen Miao walked over and put down the stool. She sat on one, and the other, which was originally for putting the washed clothes on, she left there without putting anything on it. She didn't say anything either. She just poured out the clothes, soaked them in the water, took out the pig pancreas soap and rubbed it back and forth on the wet clothes, then started to knead them with her hands.
After a while, a shadow fell beside her. Xie Qi silently sat on the small stool next to her, picked up the pestle, and with a bit of embarrassment and clumsiness, helped her pound the clothes that had already been rubbed with the pig pancreas soap.
Shen Miao lowered her head and smiled with pursed lips.
The warm wind brought the aroma of fried pancakes from some family in the west alley. The smell of the food immediately neutralized the slight annoyance in Shen Miao's heart that had arisen because of the Adam's apple incident. As she kneaded the clothes, she broke the silence first. "Brother Jiu, are you going to the academy tomorrow?"
"Yeah," Xie Qi replied in a deep voice, with a hint of depression in his tone.
Afterwards, Shen Miao finished washing the clothes and rinsed her hands. Then she propped her chin up and turned to look at him. "We've already exchanged the betrothal letters. Why are you still avoiding me?"
Uncle Xie had been here for a month, bustling around with the arrangements for the six betrothal rites. But since an auspicious day had to be selected for each step and a Taoist priest or a well - versed monk had to be found to calculate the horoscopes, they had only just reached the step of "confirming the engagement" so far.
The funniest thing was that Uncle Xie had someone take the betrothal letters of her and Xie Qi to all the nunneries, temples, and Taoist temples to have them calculated. Then, pragmatically, he threw away the ones with mediocre divination results and selected the best one with a "perfect match" divination result, which he carefully pasted on the betrothal letter.
Xie Qi slowly averted his eyes, presenting the back of his high - bunched hair to Shen Miao, and whispered in denial. "I... I haven't been avoiding you, Miss Shen."
Shen Miao didn't want this kind of awkward and dragging situation to continue. She gritted her teeth, paused for a moment, then quietly moved her stool closer to him and tugged at his sleeve. "Turn your head. I have something to say."
Xie Qi had no choice but to turn his head.
But as soon as he turned his face, Shen Miao forcefully pulled his arm down.
His shoulder and his whole body tilted towards her. His eyes widened, and suddenly he felt the soft and delicate skin, which was like a dragonfly's wing, lightly touching his lips.
A tremulous warmth, gone in a flash.
The wide and long sleeves of the lake - silk robe were wrinkled from being grasped, but the fingertips that had grasped the sleeves slowly loosened. However, Xie Qi still maintained the tilted position, and even his eyes seemed to be frozen like a clay statue.
Shen Miao didn't dare to look at Xie Qi too much. She bent down and was about to irresponsibly pick up the wooden bucket and flee from this "place of trouble". Unexpectedly, as soon as she turned around, there was a sudden force that grabbed her wrist. The palm was so hot as if it had just held a red - hot charcoal.
With a "clank", the wooden bucket fell.
The floor tiles beside the well were soaked and shining by the water spilled from the bucket. The water flowed along the brick joints to the lower places and soon accumulated into a shallow pool, reflecting two vague and hazy shadows - a slender neck, a clearly - defined jaw, gradually lowered eyes, and a pursuing kiss.
It wasn't until a drop of water fell from the edge of the wooden bucket rolling on the ground.
In the reflection, there were only the quiet rippling ripples left.
***
Steam was rising from the stove, and the thick rice porridge in the clay pot was bubbling and rolling. Fu Xing was holding a ladle and slowly stirring it. On the other side of the wide counter, Tang Er was also wearing a flowery apron, humming a little tune and concentrating on killing the fish.
"Didn't wait for Aunt Li today?" Fu Xing chatted with him while stirring the porridge.
Tang Er shook his head. "No. I waited for an extra half - hour today, but there was still no sign of her."
As he spoke, he pressed the struggling shad on the chopping board.
The gills of the fish opened and closed occasionally under his palm. Sometimes its tail suddenly flicked up and slapped on the chopping board vigorously, making a "pop - pop" sound.
"This fish is really fresh. It's really rare to get such a good one. We're in for a treat tonight!" Tang Er said with a smile as he picked up the knife. The blade flashed a cold light as he made a cut in the belly of the shad. In a moment, he had killed the fish and cut it into pieces. He put the fish in a basin to wash.
After he had sliced two more fish, he muttered curiously, "It's all done. What should I do next? My wife went to wash some clothes. Why isn't she back yet?"
Fu Xing shrugged. He had no idea.
In the yard, Tao was wearing thick cotton gloves and struggling to pull out the iron tray from the earth kiln. While blowing on her hands to warm them, she was about to distribute the taro puree baked milk in the large clay pot to several children in the family who were already drooling with anticipation, holding their bowls.
For convenience, Shen Miao used a large pot to bake this time.
The unique burnt aroma emitted by the soft taro puree mixed with the rich milk aroma after baking filled the entire yard the moment it came out of the kiln.
This alluring smell even attracted Chen Chuan, who was concentrating on practicing calligraphy beside Father Xie. He quickly put down his pen, dashed over, took a bowl, and stood behind Li Gou'er, eagerly waiting to taste the delicious food.
Tao distributed a bowl of taro puree baked milk to each child and handed them a spoon one by one.
The little kids were sucking the saliva constantly oozing from their mouths and sitting in a row under the corridor with their bowls.
Tao also filled a bowl and handed it to Father Xie, who was sitting in the corner, shaking his head while reading. "My lord, you should also taste the wonderful craftsmanship of our Lady Shen in making pastries."
Father Xie was startled by this call and seemed to wake up from a dream. He quickly put down the book in his hand, sat up straight, and instantly regained his dignified and proper appearance. He coughed lightly. "You're thoughtful. Just put it there."
Seeing this, Yan Shu suddenly stood up, hid his own bowl behind Sister Xiang, waddled into the kitchen on his short fat legs, fetched two more bowls, and asked Tao for two more servings.
He carried the two bowls back to the kitchen with difficulty, carefully put them back in the cabinet in the kitchen, and covered them with a plate - almost forgetting to save some for Ninth Brother and Lady Shen.
After finishing all this, he ran back with a thud, squeezed in among everyone, picked up the bowl, and started eating with big mouthfuls.
The taro puree baked milk had a layer of golden - brown and alluring egg - milk liquid on top, which looked like the egg - milk mille - feuille they had eaten before. The bottom layer was soft and silky taro puree. When eating, you inserted the spoon to the very bottom, scooped up a big mouthful from the bottom up, turned the taro puree over, and stuffed it into your mouth together with the baked milk.
Yan Shu's two fat legs were swaying as he ate.
The first thing you could feel when it entered your mouth was the mellow and sweet taste of the taro puree. The delicate taro puree gently spread on the tip of the tongue, soft and silky, with the fresh and natural aroma of the taro itself. The sweetness was adjusted just right, not too cloying at all. You could feel the solidity and density of the taro with every bite.
This made Yan Shu can't help but think of the red - bean paste made by Lady Shen, which was also so dense and delicious!
Then, the rich milk aroma filled the mouth. It was mellow but not greasy, just like eating smooth tofu. The mellow fragrance of cow's milk seemed to be concentrated in this one bite.
The baked milk also had a slight caramel flavor. When eating this layer, it really tasted like the egg - milk mille - feuille they had eaten before.
Yan Shu ate it all up, and his mouth was full of a milky smell.
After finishing, he smacked his lips and savored it. At this time, the yard was enveloped in the warm orange glow of the evening twilight. Sister Xiang picked the residue of the baked milk from the corner of her mouth and put it into her mouth. She also suddenly asked curiously, "Why aren't Sister and Ninth Brother back yet?"
"Should we go look for them?" Yan Shu also tilted his head and asked.
Chen Chuan also put down his bowl. "I'll go too."
Tao, who was eating the baked milk beside the large clay pot, quickly sat down, hurriedly opened her arms, and hugged the three children who were putting on their shoes and about to run out. She said seriously, "You mustn't go."
"Why?"
"... You'll understand when you grow up."
