As they walked back, Xie Jiang was in an exceptionally good mood.
Her steps were so light she almost flew, and even her high ponytail, tied up in a ponytail, exuded happiness, occasionally sweeping across Yi Yan Geng's face.
For the latter half of the afternoon, she had been lying on the green grass, acting as a supervisor, watching Yi Yan Geng work as a tea-picking boy. How could she not be happy? When she noticed him slowing down, she even threw pebbles at his backside.
So bouncy!
What could Yi Yan Geng do?
Yi Yan Geng could only glare at her with a darkened face, helpless.
However, he couldn't let her throw stones at him for nothing.
He rolled up the hem of her clothes to make a pouch, picking tea leaves and dropping them into her pouch. Wherever he went, he dragged her along, treating her completely as a human-sized cloth pouch.
Xie Jiang told him to use his own clothes.
He refused.
He said he had to maintain his image.
What image did he need to maintain when he was already in the village acting as a tea-picking boy!
Did she not need an image?
Yi Yan Geng looked at the person lying at his feet.
Did she still need an image?
Wherever he went, she lay there, even resting her head on his feet.
Yi Yan Geng felt as though he had raised a cat.
If only she could truly turn into a cat.
Even from ten miles away, Aunt He could feel the young master's joy.
"Little Yan'er, quickly get a basket."
Before even entering the small courtyard, Xie Jiang shouted inside.
Aunt He walked closer and saw, "Did the young master and Young Master Yi go tea picking?"
Yan'er quickly found a small woven bamboo basket. Xie Jiang poured the tender buds from her clothes-pouch into it.
Xie Jiang instructed, "Take these to the kitchen for processing."
Yan'er obediently replied and took the basket next door.
"Our young master is truly capable. He went out for a trip and picked so much tea," Aunt He praised, unable to stop smiling for a while.
Shan Bai was almost numb.
Was picking something that grew hands really something to be so proud of?
Aunt He did not forget to praise Yi Yan Geng as well, "Young Master Yi also helped pick tea, didn't he? Young Master Yi is as capable as our young master!"
After speaking, she glanced at Shan Bai, looking expressionless. Who was he looking at? Your master wasn't left out!
Shan Bai: "..."
Had he just spoken his inner thoughts aloud? Aunt He seemed to be able to hear his thoughts?
He just felt...
He didn't mean for Aunt He to praise his master too!
Yi Yan Geng's expression was a little stiff.
He hadn't been praised like this since he was three years old.
She grew up being doted on like this and didn't turn out crooked?
Shan Bai secretly glanced at his master. Was the master sure Miss Xie hadn't turned out crooked?
Aunt He tidied Xie Jiang's wrinkled clothes, looking at the various grass stains on her clothes, and the tender buds that had been rubbed into her clothes. She tried to pick them off with her fingernails for a long time but couldn't...
How intense did it have to be to have the tender buds rubbed into the clothes so much that they couldn't be picked off, leaving imprints? Aunt He looked at Yi Yan Geng accusingly.
"The young master still has injuries, and so do you, Young Master Yi. How could you not be more restrained?"
Yi Yan Geng felt inexplicably nervous, like a child caught making a mistake. However, his expression showed nothing, and he remained dignified and inscrutable.
Was it that obvious?
Couldn't it be that she herself rolled on the ground and got it on her clothes?
She always liked to lie on the ground.
How could Aunt He be so sure it was him who did something?
Aunt He was sure, of course. "It's all over the village..."
Xie Jiang asked while eating cherries, "What's being spread in the village?"
Aunt He looked at Yi Yan Geng and then at her young master. Thinking that they were both involved and there was nothing to hide, she recounted the rumors that had reached her ears not long ago.
The villagers didn't know the origin of the group of people who had arrived in their village a few days ago and rented Old Wang's house and several surrounding households. However, it was clear from their appearance that they were wealthy and of high status.
They originally thought they were just passing through their area and would stay for a few days to rest.
Unexpectedly, they turned out to be a pair of unfortunate lovers eloping.
How could they not be unfortunate?
It was better for a good man to marry a wife and have children.
Why would they be gay!
Are you talking nonsense?
How is it nonsense?
So-and-so and so-and-so passed by and saw it with their own eyes! Two noble young masters kissed in the ditch!
Did such a thing really happen?!
Of course, such a thing happened. There are all sorts of people in a big forest.
...
Xie Jiang and Yi Yan Geng exchanged a look, and immediately understood where the rumors came from.
Seeing their expressions, Aunt He understood everything.
They were caught fooling around outside!
Aunt He didn't take this matter to heart. It was rare for the village to have some fresh gossip, but she had to care about the young master's health!
Yesterday, he was in so much pain he was rolling on the bed, and today he ran outside and rolled on the ground with Young Master Yi!
Rolling together made all the pain disappear, right?
Did Young Master Yi have such healing effects? Then what was the point of Doctor Lou?
However, looking at her young master's spirit, it seemed they hadn't gone too far.
Xie Jiang also didn't care about these idle talks and smilingly popped a cherry into Yi Yan Geng's mouth.
Aunt He couldn't bear to watch. How could they still eat when they were so dirty? Yet, they didn't dislike each other at all!
"By the way, Aunt He, have someone inquire about whose tea mountain this is later. Remember to pay them."
Even two tea trees were damaged, so how could they not compensate?
"Okay."
Aunt He replied.
...
Two days later.
Xie Jiang felt her body had recovered quite well, at least enough to ride a horse or travel by carriage without problems. So, she instructed them to set off for Ninghe early the next morning.
Unexpectedly, it started raining as soon as night fell.
Aunt He, worried, held up a lamp and inspected the room, "If it rains heavily later, won't it leak?"
Xie Jiang, who had just lain down, immediately threw off the covers, "It will leak, it will definitely leak. I'll go sleep in Yi Yan Geng's room."
Saying that, she slipped on her shoes and ran out.
Aunt He uttered an "Ah," but the person was already gone.
Xie Jiang pushed open the door to Yi Yan Geng's side room and stepped on Wen Feng, who was sleeping on the floor. Wen Feng clutched his stomach and cried out in surprise, sitting up.
Xie Jiang waved潇洒ly, "Go find a place to sleep yourself. You don't need to stand guard anymore. I'll guard your master for you."
Wen Feng: "..." Absolutely unnecessary!
Yi Yan Geng, who had just taken his medicine and was about to sleep, sat up, hugging his quilt, seeing Xie Jiang suddenly run in.
"Why aren't you sleeping yet?"
He glanced towards Wen Feng at the door.
Wen Feng received the signal, rolled up his bedding, retreated, and closed the door.
Xie Jiang agilely slipped into Yi Yan Geng's quilt, hugged his waist, and lay down, "My room is leaking due to the rain. I'm here to borrow a place to sleep for the night."
"It's leaking?"
Yi Yan Geng looked up at the roof. His side room wasn't leaking, but her main room was?
"Yes."
Xie Jiang said with a straight face. If she said it was leaking, it was definitely leaking, even if it wasn't.
Yi Yan Geng felt her hair, which was damp. "You ran over like this without an umbrella?"
Saying that, he was about to get down to find a clean cloth to dry her.
Xie Jiang pulled him and nudged him twice against her, indicating she was already dry.
Yi Yan Geng then lay down as well. The two of them lay side by side, sharing a pillow, listening to the sound of rain falling on the roof. Yi Yan Geng felt exceptionally peaceful and immensely satisfied.