Yi Yangu picked up the grass-woven bird that had fallen on the ground when she was rolling around, and played with it in his hand, saying, "Do you often weave these little things for people?"
Xie Jiang thought for a moment, "No, I just wove a few for Big Hammer a long time ago, but the ones I wove for Big Hammer were grasshoppers and dragonflies. Big Hammer isn't interested in these little things. Big Hammer's only hobby is eating and drinking. Making him good food is better than anything, so I haven't woven them since."
At least, not for anyone else in her memory.
Look at her unique sincerity towards him!
Yi Yangu pretended not to see her expectant expression. Was weaving a small item from weeds considered sincerity?
He wasn't that easily pleased.
Who knew if she would weave a whole box of them for Xu Hengyan, Zhang Hengyan, or Li Hengyan one day.
Did she think her handmade items made of weeds had no value? Can value be measured so superficially? Couldn't her sincere heart be worth a city?
Yi Yangu placed the bird back into her hand. "Go and try to get me a city."
Xie Jiang said seriously, "Which city do you want? I'll get it for you right away."
Yi Yangu snatched the bird back from her hand. "Forget it, what would I want a city for?"
Didn't she understand what he truly wanted?
"You wouldn't even want me to snatch the throne for you, would you?" Isn't ruling the world and possessing vast wealth valuable enough?
"What would I want the throne for?"
This was getting more and more ridiculous. Were the Xia family members all dead, that the throne was hers for the taking?
"It would have some use, you could leave it to your son to inherit."
"Where would I get a son?"
"Have one."
She just said "have one." Who would have one for him?
Yi Yangu's eyes darkened. He pushed her onto the grass, his large hand reaching for a place it shouldn't, and said in a low voice by her ear, "Jiang Jiang, have one for me?"
Xie Jiang arched her back, allowing him to grip more firmly. "I'm a man..."
Yi Yangu felt his hand go numb. "Whether I'm a man or not, I know in my heart, and you know in your heart too. Just tell me, do you want to have one for me?"
Xie Jiang could almost hear Yi Yangu grinding his teeth by her ear.
If she said anything wrong, she wouldn't have her ears anymore.
"If I were the one carrying it for ten months, I wouldn't mind leaving you some seed."
Since it was something she didn't expect, there was no room for disappointment. Yi Yangu suddenly withdrew his hand and sat up leisurely.
Xie Jiang rolled over and rested her head on his leg, looking up at him still playing with the bird, as if he couldn't put it down.
Xie Jiang's confidence instantly swelled, feeling that her little handicraft was really good. She said proudly, "How is it? Am I very skilled?"
Yi Yangu nodded. "As long as you don't pick up a pen, you're good at anything."
"Don't hit me in the face, don't insult me by bringing up my shortcomings!"
"I'll teach you to write. Once you've learned, they won't be shortcomings anymore."
"Is it that I can't write? I'm just too lazy to write."
Yi Yangu thought of her handwriting, which showed a hint of strength, but she was unwilling to write properly. "Then I'll practice calligraphy with you."
"What's the use of writing well? If you want your enemy to kneel before you, all you need is a knife in your hand."
"Reading more books can also achieve that."
"What's more satisfying than using a knife!" Why babble when a knife can solve it in one go?
Yi Yangu sighed silently. He just felt she was too aggressive, and teaching her to read and practice calligraphy was also to help her calm down.
He tucked the bird into her purse to keep it safe, so she wouldn't lose it if she hung it on herself.
"Since it's a sincere gift for me, don't make them for others anymore."
"Huh? Oh, okay."
"It's not that I want you to hide this skill. You can make them for Big Hammer or Doctor Lou, but you're not allowed to make them for Xu Hengyan."
No matter what her feelings were for Xu Hengyan, Xu Hengyan definitely had feelings for her.
Had he made it clear enough? Don't pretend not to understand.
"Are you implying that Big Hammer and Yi An are ugly?"
"So you think Xu Hengyan is good-looking?"
"This..." Did she need to think about whether Xu Hengyan was good-looking? Didn't everyone with eyes know?
Yi Yangu stared at her eyeballs, as if contemplating how to dig them out completely.
"Don't make them for others. Don't make them for anyone. Not for Big Hammer or Yi An either. Only for Geng Geng. Geng Geng is the only one."
Even though her words were not very credible, Yi Yangu found them pleasant to hear, so he decided to compromise a step further.
"You can make them for others. You can make grasshoppers and dragonflies for others, but you're not allowed to make birds and fish."
"Okay, I understand. This is your exclusive."
Men in love are truly terrifying. To dwell on such a trivial matter and repeatedly emphasize it with such petty jealousy. Can this even be considered a problem?
Xie Jiang, fearing he would make a lifelong commitment to her about this matter, pulled him and ran up the mountain, excitedly saying she wanted to pick tea.
"This tea mountain belongs to someone else."
"I know. I'll ask Aunt He to inquire whose it is later and pay some money."
"We don't have any baskets either."
"I have a way."
After speaking, Xie Jiang pulled up the hem of her clothes, rolled up the sides, tied them into her belt, leaving an opening in the middle to put the tea leaves.
Yi Yangu was stunned.
The tea on the mountain had been harvested a while ago. The new tender buds were not many.
Xie Jiang picked a handful and smelled it, praising it with satisfaction. She then offered it to Yi Yangu to smell as well.
In reality, they were just ordinary tea trees on the mountain, but the newly picked tender buds had a unique fragrance.
Seeing her enthusiasm, as if she truly intended to pick them and make tea, Yi Yangu rolled up his sleeves and joined her in picking tea.
Yi Yangu occasionally looked up at her, looking at her eyebrows, her lips, her eyes.
He didn't even realize how frequently he was looking at her.
He just felt he couldn't get enough of looking.
After looking many times, Xie Jiang noticed.
"Stealing glances at me?"
"How can that be called stealing glances?" Yi Yangu didn't dodge.
Seeing the sweat on her temples, Yi Yangu reached out to wipe it. He found his hands were a bit dirty, so he used his sleeve to wipe it for her.
"Yi Yangu, when are you planning to return to the capital?"
"Are you hoping I'll leave?"
"How could I? I'm just asking. Isn't His Majesty busy cultivating immortality? He's left all state affairs to you. Can you get away?"
"Do you think Da Yu can't function without me?"
His Majesty was unwilling to attend court, but not truly neglecting his duties.
"Of course, I hope you can spend more days with me. I wish I could turn you into a little pendant and hang you on my belt every day..."
He thought the same. He wanted to take her wherever he went, so he wouldn't have to worry about her running off and getting into trouble with others if he wasn't watching.
"I'm afraid your Emperor will send someone to capture you back to work. I heard that Prime Ministers Gong and Xun have both become disheartened by your Emperor and haven't been very involved in state affairs for the past two years. How could your Emperor bear to let go of someone as capable as you?"