Chapter 36: Luring

Grandma Yun leisurely strolled around her own flower room, followed by four granddaughters of different ages.

The whole north room was opened up by the grandchildren and turned into one big room. The two walls in the front and back were hollowed out, and when connected to the chimney, they became what the grandchildren called a fire wall. Although it was still a bit cold outside, the room was warm as spring.

The warmth of the walls is not the only thing that brings out the springtime colors. There are also the green vegetables filling the room, the bright green spinach, the yellowish leeks, the blackened rape blossoms, and even a few rows of cucumbers with yellow flowers blooming.

The carpenter drilled small holes in the wooden boxes, covered them with old linen boiled in water, and then covered them with a layer of half-inch-thick compost. The boiled soybean water was placed next to the stove and roasted for a few days, emitting a foul odor. The grandson used this water to water the vegetables every few days. Needless to say, these vegetables grew better than those grown by farmers.

Grandma looked at the cucumbers in the small tub with satisfaction, imagining how they would grow into tender cucumbers in a few days.

Grandma wouldn’t let the little girls touch the peppers. It was hard to grow more than a dozen, and the grandson said that if the pepper seedlings died, he would jump into the river. But I wouldn’t dare let the grandson jump into the river. If he jumped into the river, what would I, an old woman, live for?

The flowers are white and have no scent. Some of the fast-growing ones have already produced small green horns. My grandson said that this stuff was brought back from the ocean by a sea traveler, and that it would be gone if it died.

The Kunlun zucchini is also growing well. The large leaves are almost covering the pot, and small fruits have formed on several branches.

The walls of the Chaoyang house are full of windows, and if it weren’t for the pillars that fill the room, the house would have collapsed long ago. The more windows there are, the more sunlight there is. Every day at noon, when the sun is at its strongest, the windows are opened to let the vegetables see the light.

These chores are all done by Yiren and Runren. Ye’er said that this is part of their dowry. Whether they marry into a wealthy family or a common family, having this skill will prevent them from being bullied and they can live a happy life.

Yi Niang had a gold hairpin in her hair, swaying with each step. She was a young woman of marriageable age, and would soon be 14. A few days ago, Mrs. Cheng had acted as matchmaker and arranged a marriage for her to a distant relative of the Pei family. The young man was 15 years old, had thick eyebrows and big eyes, and was a good, well-mannered young man who was shy even when he was looked at. He was nothing like Sun Zi, who was so carefree. The young man’s father was a magistrate in a county in Jian Nan, and although the position was small, he was also a scholar.

When asked about her feelings, she was too embarrassed to speak, so Sunzi said he would kick the boy out and break his legs. She was held back by her mother-in-law, Mrs. Cheng, who was laughing so hard she could hardly breathe.

The marriage was settled, but the grandson refused to marry now. He told his in-laws that it was not because the Yun family was being arrogant, but because the two children had not yet grown into adults, and marrying them too early would be harmful. It could even affect their offspring. Other families marry their children at the age of 13 or 14, but that is like a crop that has not yet reached maturity. It is unreasonable to expect a good harvest if you harvest it too early. The Tang Code stipulates that men should be 18 and women 16, and this makes sense. In three years, when the children are older, they can get married.

The old grandmother called over the mother, and the little girl’s face was flushed red from the heat in the room. Seeing her grandmother looking at her, she remembered the day of the engagement and was so embarrassed that she wanted to cover her face. The old grandmother affectionately patted her on the head and said, “You’re another blessed one.”

The little girl was sitting on her brother’s neck, chewing on the burnt rice in her mouth. Xiao Xi and Xiao Bei were pushing from behind, but they were too small and didn’t have enough strength to swing the swing. They ran far away and then pounced on it again, but the swing didn’t move. They were so angry that they went to find their sisters for help.

Yun Ye hummed a song in his mouth, in a good mood!

He went to the palace to see the old gentleman Song Lian and talked about the popularization of the “Three Character Classic” and met Xiao Lingdang.

Xiao Lingdang looked at Yun Ye with stars in his eyes, and was disappointed to see that Yun Ye did not have a lunch box in his hand. When Yun Ye magically pulled out a large bag of roasted chestnuts from his chest, his two rabbit teeth seemed to be trembling. He shouted in joy and ran over to grab the chestnuts. Yun Ye hid behind his back and said to Xiao Lingdang, “Did you like the beggar’s chicken last time?”

Little Dingdong nodded repeatedly.

“Other dishes are even better. Why don’t you eat them?”

Little Dingdong looked very aggrieved.

“I guess the princess ate it all up and didn’t let you eat it?”

Little Bell shook her head firmly.

“Look, how about I be your princess’s husband?”

Xiao Lingdeng’s eyes widened.

“My family has a lot of delicious food, more than the palace, there are chicken, braised pork, sweet and sour pork, fried dumplings, soup buns, dumplings, shumai, leek dumplings, and so on. You and the princess can eat as much as you want at my house, and it’s okay to get fat.” Yun Ye felt like a goldfish at this moment.

Little Bell was lost in her fantasies, and didn’t even notice the glistening saliva dripping from the corner of her mouth.

“The princess said you were a bad guy.”

Good, finally got the little girl to speak. As long as she opens her mouth, Yun Ye is confident enough to confuse her.

“It was a misunderstanding that day. I saw your beautiful princess and couldn’t help but blabber on. I just felt like I had known your princess in a previous life and met her again in this life. I regretted it very much when I got home. I made six delicious dishes for you and the princess that night, but I never imagined that your princess would give them to His Majesty instead of eating them herself. As a result, I was punished by His Majesty and was not allowed to come to class anymore. I had to work in the Imperial Household Department, which is a shabby place with no windows. I was freezing for days.”

Pretending to be pitiful, he hoped to arouse Xiao Lingdang’s sympathy and help him fulfill his wish to bring Li Anlan home.

Xiao Lingdong didn’t say anything, but just looked behind him. Yun Ye thought she was looking at the roasted chestnuts, so he generously stuffed the chestnuts into her hands.

“You’re a lecher! Haven’t you learned your lesson from last time? Now you’re still deceiving Little Ding-dong. It’s really hateful.” Oh no, when did Li Anlan come? I was too involved in the emotions just now and didn’t notice.

There was a sound of wind behind his head. It was bad, it was a weapon! Yun Ye ran away, and if he was a little late, he would be dead.

It has to be said that the women of the Tang Dynasty were fierce, not to mention that the Li family had raised their daughters as boys since childhood, proficient in everything from horseback riding to archery, and even cultivated such a gem as Princess Pingyang. It is not surprising that several strong princesses have emerged under such a family atmosphere.

Yun Ye ran ahead, Li Anlan chased after him with a small hoe, and Xiaolindeng slowly followed behind, peeling roasted chestnuts.

Seeing Song Lian coming out of the Tingtao Pavilion, Yun Ye slowed down, adjusted his breath, and stood by the side of the road waiting for Song Lian’s arrival. He bowed early and looked like a good student who respected his teacher.

Song Lian was about to say that there was no need for such a formal greeting, but then he saw Li Anlan rushing out from the side, holding a flower hoe and about to hit Yun Ye’s leg.

“Stop!” Song Lian was furious. In the palace, a princess was about to beat a state official. This was unacceptable. All the years of education had been wasted.

Li Anlan discovered that Song Lian, the old teacher, was the teacher of almost all the princes and princesses in the palace, and she was no exception. This was a strict teacher, but he saw him, and it was a big deal.

“What a disgrace! Where are the courtesy, humility, and good manners that I taught you? It is already a disgrace for a princess to run away in a panic, but to actually beat up a country lord! I have to ask the queen how she taught you the manners of a woman.” Old Song was very angry, and the consequences were very serious! Although Yun Ye was laughing in his heart, he still gave Old Song a serious greeting.

“Master Song, please calm down. This is all my fault. The other day, I accidentally offended the princess, and I already apologized. I think the princess is still a little angry. It is only right that I should let the princess vent her anger by receiving two strokes. Please don’t be offended, sir.”

“Nonsense. Right is right, wrong is wrong. You didn’t mean to offend her, and since you’ve already apologized, she should be magnanimous and forgive you. This is what I’ve taught you for many years. What kind of gentleman would hold a grudge and seek revenge afterwards?

Probably out of anger, Li Anlan blurted out without thinking: “Who asked you to be so hypocritical and beg for mercy?”

Well, Lao Song’s anger was completely ignited, and he pointed at Li Anlan and said, “Go to your room and reflect on yourself. Copy the “Female Commandments” a hundred times, and I will report to the Empress.”

Li Anlan went back to her room to reflect on her wrongdoings, crying bitterly. Little Lingdang carefully hid behind the flowerbed with a handful of roasted chestnuts in her hands, listening to the conversation.

“Master Song, I admit that it was my fault the other day. Princess Anlan has been lonely since childhood, and her temperament is bound to be a bit extreme. Please forgive her this time,” he said, bowing deeply.

Old Song sighed: “Well, this woman is passionate and will inevitably bring trouble to herself in the future. Since you have pleaded for her, I will forgive her this time.” After saying that, he left, forgetting to even ask Yun Ye about the “Three Character Classic.”

Xiao Lingdang only felt that this young man was really a good person. The princess bullied him, but he didn’t care, and he even pleaded for the princess. He was really a good person, and it seemed like a good choice for the princess to choose him as her husband.