The two were startled and turned to look.
They saw red-hot coals bouncing everywhere, and the entire kitchen was filled with smoke...
"Oh no, it's ruined, it's ruined, the iron exploded!" Murong Qing casually threw away the corn cob and scooped up a ladle of water to pour on the coals.
Seeing her flustered appearance, Yun Jinhe found her a bit cute.
So Miss Murong had moments of failure too...
"You're still laughing, hurry up and help!" Murong Qing glared at him.
"Yes, yes!" Yun Jinhe, unable to suppress his laughter, stepped forward to help Murong Qing put out the fire.
After the commotion, dawn was breaking.
Fortunately, the academy was closed today, so Yun Jinhe didn't have to go to school...
Murong Qing stretched a pot of noodles and made a sauce with eggs. Sun Tianxiu downed three bowls in one go, "Heh heh, Miss Murong's cooking is getting better and better, here, serve me another bowl!"
Murong Qing: "..."
This person was truly shameless.
Plain noodles like these would cost at least three copper coins a bowl outside. You eat so much without paying, do you really think Jinhe is a pushover?
"Hurry up, serve another bowl, or the noodles will get mushy!" Seeing Murong Qing hadn't moved, Sun Tianxiu urged.
Yun Jinhe ate his noodles silently, saying nothing...
Murong Qing, angered, scooped a bowl of noodle soup and splashed it directly onto Sun Tianxiu's face, "Serve your sister! I'm Jinhe's companion, not your maid. Who are you ordering around?"
"I say, if your grades were good, you would have brought honor to the family, and it wouldn't be in vain for your parents to have worked so hard to cultivate you. But you, you're always at the bottom in every exam, all you do is eat and sleep, and you cling to Jinhe. Who do you think you are? Does he owe you anything?"
After speaking, Murong Qing slammed the bowl down in front of Sun Tianxiu and held out her hand, "If you want to eat noodles, it's four copper coins a bowl. Pay up!"
Sun Tianxiu: "..."
Good heavens, if people didn't know, they'd think you two were a couple.
I'm eating Jinhe's food, not yours, why are you making such a fuss?
"Mis-, Miss Murong!" Yun Jinhe put down his bowl, looking troubled, "Why don't you just serve him a bowl? We're all classmates, and it's not easy to study outside..."
"Shut up!" Murong Qing gave him a glare and said indignantly, "It's not easy for him to study outside, but is it easy for you? Is the money in your family blown in by the wind? If your parents knew you were a prodigal son, wouldn't they be so angry they'd die!"
Yun Jinhe's expression stiffened, and he fell silent.
Sun Tianxiu felt his dignity had been insulted. Although he was poor, he couldn't let others humiliate him like this...
"Hmph, it's just a few bowls of noodles, and you're acting all high and mighty!" Sun Tianxiu stood up, "Don't forget, the jade pendant passed down in my family is still with you as collateral. Can that thing cover half a year's rent and a year's food expenses?"
Murong Qing: "..."
Truly shameless, his skin was thicker than an iron pot.
She untied her purse, took out the jade pendant, and threw it to Sun Tianxiu, "A mere broken jade pendant, crudely made, with dull jade quality, not even considered common jade. I wouldn't want it even if you gave it to me for free!"
"Hey, can you not speak so harshly?" Sun Tianxiu stroked the jade pendant and his face darkened, "You're only fifteen or sixteen, why do you speak worse than a cesspool?"
He was getting more and more presumptuous, daring to insult his heirloom, truly spoiled...
"Brother Tianxiu, be careful with your words!" Yun Jinhe slammed his chopsticks down heavily and frowned, "I let you live here out of fellow student sentiment. You are a scholar now, yet you speak of cesspools. Did you study all your books into a dog's belly? Or did you buy your scholar title?"
Sun Tianxiu could be shameless in front of him, but daring to challenge Miss Murong was asking for a beating...
Back in Dashui Village, Yun Jinhe and Yun Jinshan had often fought with the village children. It was only because of his current scholar status that he restrained himself.
Otherwise, someone like Sun Tianxiu would have been beaten to a pulp long ago.
"You're the one who bought it!" Sun Tianxiu was furious, "I studied hard for years, and you insult me like this. Fine, I was blind. Even if I don't live here, I won't starve to death..."
With that, Sun Tianxiu stomped back to his room. Halfway there, he turned back, "Oh, right, I see you two are lovey-dovey every day. Who knows, maybe you'll end up in bed together someday. Let me bless you in advance, wishing you are long-lost siblings. That's all!"
Yun Jinhe: "..."
Murong Qing: "..."
How devious!
Listen to that, is that human speech?
And calling them long-lost siblings, does he just hate seeing others happy?
A moment later, Sun Tianxiu packed his belongings and left with his book bag...
You wait for me. I can't beat Yun Jinhe in studies, but when it comes to scheming, I've never lost.
"What's wrong?" Murong Qing gave Yun Jinhe a sideways glance, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Yun Jinhe smiled faintly, "I'm looking to see if we look alike, if we might really be long-lost siblings!"
This girl, usually busy with laundry, cooking, carrying water, and chopping wood, just quietly worked.
Who would have thought that at a crucial moment, she would be so feisty.
Just like a mother hen.
Murong Qing tidied Yun Jinhe's collar and said helplessly, "If we were really siblings, that would be great, saving me from drifting around and having no fixed abode..."
She had always wanted to find a place to settle down. Since the Chen Kingdom had fallen, she didn't want to continue living a life of displacement in the Liang Kingdom.
Yun Jinhe stared at her for a moment, wanting to hold her and comfort her, but not knowing what to say.
The two sat there like that, the noodles gradually becoming mushy, and the sun slowly rising to the sky...
Old Yun's family.
During breakfast, Old Man Yun briefly recounted Gu Zhenshan's matter, feeling very curious, "Old woman, why did that person come to our house to find relatives? He looked scruffy, like he'd been wandering around for a long time!"
When Madam Gu heard this, her hand paused abruptly as she ate, "What did you say?"
Finding relatives?
"Yes, Mother, that person said he wanted to see you..." Little Xi said with a sweet smile.
Madam Gu was surprised. She had lived outside for so many years and had long forgotten her birthplace and severed ties with her family. Who would come looking for her?
Madam Gu gave a wry smile, "Perhaps he mistook me for someone else!"
Zhao Guihua and Du Tieshan exchanged glances but said nothing.
This morning, the sisters-in-law had seen the soldiers staying at their house. They were all clad in soft armor and carried sabers. These people clearly had considerable status.
Just then, Gu Zhenshan tidied himself up, changed into relatively dry clothes, and strode in...