Chapter 305 (1/2)
When Royal Prince Yang arrived at Dongshan village after travelling from the capital in the snow, this was the sight that greeted him: a big, silvery gray wolf pulling a small sled sliding across the snowy ground, and a little figure wearing a red cloak rode on the sled; the fluffy brim of the cloak being blown back by the wind.
Behind the sled, two little dots of black and white chased after it with difficulty. They occasionally howled once in awhile. When they met with a deeper pile of snow, the two little pups would disappear for a split second and emerge from the other side of the pile, continuing their chase of the sled.
The cheeks of the little girl on the sled were red, and her laughter was more delightful than the chime of silver bells. She looked like a fairy in the forest, so dazzling, so eye-catching…
”Second Sister, let me ride for a while, please let me ride for a while!” Little s.h.i.+tou ran over excitedly while waving his hands as he saw the sled turn and head in his direction.
Yu Xiaocao let Big Gray stop and jumped off of the sled so that her little brother could get on. She took off her cloak and wanted to place it on him, but Little s.h.i.+tou crinkled his nose at the red cloak and said, ”Older sister, I have rabbit fur hat and neck scarf, I don't need to wear a cloak!”
This cloak was precious and was brought back from the capital by Xiaocao's G.o.dfather, Fang Zizhen. It was rumored to have been personally made by Jiang Siniang herself. But such a bright color was only suitable for little girls to wear, and Little s.h.i.+tou thought himself a little man, so he was determined to resist all things girly.
”If you don't wear it, I won't let Big Gray pull you!” Yu Xiaocao threatened. In the end, her threat worked, and Little s.h.i.+tou reluctantly wore the cloak, pouting unhappily as he sat on the sled.
Big Gray, seeing that the person behind it had changed, did not even bother to spend so much energy as it slowly walked on the snowy ground. Despite Little s.h.i.+tou's attempts to rush it, it persisted in its unhurried steps.
In spite of that, Liu Fangping still watched from the side in envy. He followed behind the sled for a few steps, whispering his pleas to his Brother s.h.i.+tou to also let him ride on it, even if it was just a little while! Then, he would have the right to brag in front of all the other children in the village: You've all seen dogs and horses pulling sleds, but have you ever seen a wolf pulling a sled? He had not only seen it, he had also rode on it!
At this time, Yu Xiaocao had already noticed the tall figure standing in the snow, holding the reins of his horse. He wore a purple robe with gold embroidery, and at his waist, an indigo cloth embroidered with animal designs was tied. His long hair, that resembled flowing water, was tied up using the same colored cloth, and his slightly raised phoenix eyes seemed stained by the snow. With the white snow as his background, the tall figure standing gracefully beside the black stallion seemed as though he was the only focus in the world.
In her deer skin boots, Yu Xiaocao ran two steps towards the young prince before she sank into the snow and lost her balance, falling face-first onto the snowy ground.
Zhu Junyang's face changed. Letting go of the reins, he immediately sprinted over to the struggling Xiaocao's side and picked her up from the snow.
”Pfft——” Zhu Junyang heartlessly laughed. The little girl's entire head and face was covered in snow, making it seem as though she had grown a white beard around her lips and made her look extremely hilarious.
Yu Xiaocao struggled in his grasp until her feet touched the ground. She used her sleeve to brush off the snow on her head and rolled her eyes at the young prince, exasperatedly saying, ”Young royal prince, you didn't brave the snow and travel all the way from the capital over just so you can watch me embarra.s.s myself, did you?”
Zhu Junyang reached out to help her brush off some snowflakes from the top of her head, smiling, ”Of course not! Nevertheless, I'm still happy to receive such a big bow upon our first meeting.”
Yu Xiaocao knocked his hand away, huffing, ”So tell me, what matter of importance has brought your esteemed elderly [1] grand presence to Dongshan Village?”
”Am I that old? I'm only just 17 years old this year, still very well in my prime…” Zhu Junyang touched his own cheek—it was still quite elastic!
Yu Xiaocao rolled her eyes at him, saying, ”You're older than me by a whole seven years, yet you still say you're not old? When I'm twenty-something years old, you would already be thirty-something years old; and when I'm thirty years old and a blooming flower, you'd be forty years old and the sc.r.a.ps of tofu. So, aren't you old?”
Zhu Junyang raised his eyebrow, ”I've heard the emperor say 'a man in his thirties is a blooming flower, a woman in her thirties is the sc.r.a.ps of tofu'? Did you remember incorrectly?”
Yu Xiaocao jumped up, saying, ”That's not true! If women took care of themselves, they'd look 20 years old even if they were 30! On the other hand, men who put lesser importance in self-care, especially those like you who are always traveling all year round and are exposed to the sun and wind, age even more easily! If you're not the sc.r.a.ps of tofu, what are you?”
Zhu Junyang stubbornly lifted his head and said, ”Tasteless girl! I'm one of the most eligible bachelors in the capital; so many ladies from prestigious families try to attract my attention but I ignore all of them. Even if I were 40 years old, I'd still be a golden bachelor!”
He also heard the phrase 'golden bachelor'—meaning a rich, attractive and single man—from his cousin. Zhu Junyang distastefully looked at the young girl in front of him that seemed like a mung bean sprout. When this girl turned 16 and became eligible for marriage, he would only be 23 years old and in his prime, how could he be sc.r.a.ps of tofu?
Yu Xiaocao sized him up disbelievingly, frowning, ”Young royal prince, you wouldn't be so bored as to come all the way over to Dongshan Village just to boast about how well you've been living in the capital, right?”
Zhu Junyang nodded his head, saying, ”I am indeed that bored! Didn't you ask when your family's reward would come last time? I came to inform you earlier: the longer good wine is aged, the more fragrant it will be, so wait patiently because a huge surprise is awaiting you!”