Chapter 547 - Giant Farmstead (1/2)
The days went by quickly. Originally, she was planning on staying in Dongshan Village until the end of the second month, but her plans were very quickly changed. On the sixteenth of the first month, an unexpected guest arrived at Dongshan Village.
“Zhu Junyang, why are you here? You didn’t even let us know in advance and just suddenly appeared ah!” Yu Xiaocao had gone up to the mountain to set snares at dawn. When she got home, she saw that there were some new horses in front of the residence. After entering the room, she discovered that Zhu Junyang was there, sitting on the kang bed like he owned it. He was snacking on the nuts she had roasted before the end of the year. There was a small plate next to him that held a tiny pile of peeled walnuts.
Zhu Junyang raised an eyebrow at her as he cracked another walnut in his hand. He carefully picked up the meat inside and placed it into the small plate next to him. Only after he finished this did he say, “This prince only wanted to give you a nice surprise, ah? What? You don’t like me here? Is it because you have Older Brother Han to accompany you now so you’ve long forgotten this prince?”
The royal prince was already feeling a bit unhappy after hearing Little s.h.i.+tou mention ‘Older Brother Han’ all the time. If he had known that there was a large wolf roaming around, he would long come back to accompany the little la.s.s in visiting her parents, celebrate the New Years in Dongshan Village, and then go back to the capital together. The little la.s.s had been back home for over a month now. Did that fellow take advantage of when he was not here to especially woo his la.s.s?
“Oh ho! Just who tipped over a vinegar jar in this room? The sour scent of jealousy is so thick here!” Yu Xiaocao took off her silver fox fur cloak and Wutong easily took it from her and hung it on a pear wood clothes hanger.
When he saw how red Xiaocao’s face was from getting exposed to the cold, Zhu Junyang moved to allow her s.p.a.ce on the warmest part of the kang bed for her. After Xiaocao took off her boots and sat down, he also transferred the small quilt on his legs to cover her legs and feet. Then, he pointed at the walnuts that he had already peeled and stated in a voice held both amus.e.m.e.nt and grievance, “You truly have no conscience. Did you have so much fun at Dongshan Village that you forgot everything else in the capital? You’ve been gone for more than a month but you haven’t even written a single letter to this prince. You went into the mountains right at dawn today. Were you spending time with that fellow surnamed Zhao ah?”
Yu Xiaocao took a handful of walnuts and began to stuff them in her mouth. Her cheeks bulged with the nuts and her eyes curved up with happiness. She resembled a little squirrel snacking on nuts. When she heard his complaints, she slanted Zhu Junyang a glance and said, “Do you think Older Brother Han is as idle as you? He’s out at sea, drilling his troops. How would he have the spare time to go into the mountains to set snares to catch hares?”
“Older Brother Han eh...you seem to call him in a very intimate manner. How come I never hear you call this prince using ‘Older Brother Yang’ ah?” A burst of sour jealousy exploded in Zhu Junyang’s heart. The la.s.s always called him using his full name and was never polite about it either.
Yu Xiaocao saw that he had stopped cracking the nuts open and hurriedly patted his hand in an attempt to remind him to continue. When she heard his jealous words, she raised her head to look him in the eye and seriously stated, “I call him ‘Older Brother Han’ because I see him as an older brother. Do you...want me to regard you as an older brother then?”
“No way!” He absolutely did not want that! Zhu Junyang noticed that the peeled nuts in the plate were disappearing at light speed and hurriedly hastened his cracking speed. He grumbled, “However, this prince is not very pleased with the way you call me.”
“Then how do you want me to call you? Junyang? Yangyang? Yang Baby??” Each suggestion was more sticky-sweet than the previous and Yu Xiaocao was delighted to discover that Zhu Junyang’s ears had turned bright red from her teasing.
Zhu Junyang pretended to cough a couple of times. He lightly cleared his throat and said, “When I was young, I once came up with a nickname for myself, it’s ‘Ruizhi’. Only the people close to me know about this…”
“Alright ah, then I’ll call you Ruizhi then!” Yu Xiaocao easily followed his suggestion and then said, “Zhu Ruizhi, the walnuts are gone, but I still want to eat more!”
“Eat fewer snacks as breakfast is being warmed up for you in the pot ah!” Madam Liu entered the room just in time to hear her youngest daughter blatantly command Royal Prince Yang to help her peel nuts. She couldn’t help but level a glare at her daughter.
“If you place the nuts inside the congee, it’ll become nut porridge and will also taste quite good!” Yu Xiaocao craftily said as she stealthily reached a small hand towards the nuts that Zhu Junyang had peeled. She swiftly stuffed them into her mouth and truly resembled a little mischievous squirrel stealing food.
Madam Liu couldn’t control her, so she spoke to Zhu Junyang, “Royal Prince Yang, don’t spoil her! During all of last month and this month, she ate snacks instead of partaking in proper meals! Everyone else gains a few catties during the New Years. She, on the other hand, didn’t gain and instead got thinner instead!”
Yu Xiaocao hastily explained when she saw Zhu Junyang looking inquiringly at her, “Who said I got thinner? Look at my face, it’s almost as round as a steamed bun. All mothers will say this as they all feel that their children have gotten thinner. All of them try to stuff their children until they become fat little piggies.”
“Raising pigs?” Madam Liu tapped Xiaocao’s head and took the plate of nuts off the kang bed’s table. She motioned to Yingchun to place the congee, steamed buns, and side dishes on the table and said, “If the pigs in a piggery are all like you, I’m pretty sure the owners of said piggery would go out of business very soon!”
“Mother——is there truly a mother like you who scolds her daughter in this way ah? I’m such a beautiful and delicate little girl but you decide to compare me to a stinky and yucky pig. I’m angry now!” Yu Xiaocao seized the opportunity to act spoiled around her mother.