C131 (1/2)

”Little friend, your Sugar Man is ready.”

The old man handed over the dragon that he had made. A Jin laughed happily and placed the copper coin in the metal box. That dragon looked very lifelike, and she reported majestically that A Jin really liked it.

Jiang Si stared at that dragon, lowered his eyes and said, ”So, it turns out that A Jin likes dragons.”

The child raised the dragon in his hand, nodding and grinning from ear to ear.

Su Zhi ate two mouthfuls of noodles and looked behind her when she realized that the child had not come back yet.

Jiang Si hurriedly put down the curtain and instructed the servants to leave.

”Mother, look!”

Su Zhi smiled and nodded, ”What a lifelike Tianlong.”

Shen Zhu stirred the bowl of ramen noodles. He did not eat a single bite as his eyes stared at the sedan chair as it brushed past him. His sword-like eyebrows were gently knitted, as if he was unhappy.

After leaving the noodle stall, A Jin made a ruckus as he wandered around a few other places. He bought two boxes of persimmon cakes and a few skewers of candied fruits, saying that he would bring them back.

As the sky grew darker and darker, Su Zhi and her child had long been exhausted.

Shen Zhu advised A Jin to go back early and rest. The night market was still long, so it would be fine to come tomorrow night.

Seeing her mother's tiredness, A Jin hugged her in pain, blaming herself for not having noticed.

”It's already so late, I'll send Madame Su back.”

Su Zhi shook her head with a wave of her hand. ”There's no need for that. I'll be able to go back after calling the carriage. Many thanks to Young Master Shen tonight.”

What a joke! Gu Sister-in-law had already misunderstood the relationship between her and Liu Yuan. With another Shen Zhu, even if the Yellow River jumped to its death, it wouldn't be washed clean.

Shen Zhu also felt that his words were superfluous. The fact that Jiang Yao was able to find this place so accurately must mean that he had planted spies. Even if something happened, he would be protected by guards hidden in the shadows.

”In that case, farewell.”

Su Zhi saluted and took the carriage to Spring Leaf Alley.

She was exhausted, but the two children didn't seem tired at all. They were happily talking about what had happened on the street and yelling that they would go tomorrow.

Su Zhi agreed on the surface, but she didn't have the energy to accompany the two energetic children to run.

That night, the child, who had been in a ruckus for a long time, quickly fell asleep. Just as he was about to turn out the light, he heard a chirping sound from the corner — it was the little rabbit that was trapped in a cage.

Su Zhi placed the cage outside, closed the door, then went back to her room to sleep.

At daybreak the next day, Bi Yue had already woken up to prepare for the party lunch.

Seeing that it was already getting late, she quickly got up and followed him to the kitchen to do some work.

Worried that she wouldn't be able to handle it, Aunt Bai and Aunt Gu also came over to help.

The peace and harmony between the neighbors was something that Su Zhi had never experienced in An'an Village. She had come to Xuan City to learn that encountering a group of warm-hearted neighbors was a good thing.

During lunch time, those who didn't visit their relatives in Spring Leaf Alley all came.

The courtyard was busier than ever. The children were gathered together, playing around. After everyone had dinner, they helped to clean up, and they gathered together to chat while the afternoon was still warm.

The days passed in this manner, and it was only on the seventh day of the ninth month that the news of the rebellion finally arrived from the imperial city.

In the capital, Xiao Qian, who had gone to quell the mutiny, was boasted.

They said that General Xiao's reputation was spread far and wide, that he did not even need to spend a single soldier, and that he only needed to lead his men to rule, to scare the few leaders who were in chaos to the point that they pissed their pants.

Su Zhi's first thought was that something was wrong. Although it was a good thing that Xiao Qian had come back early, it had only been half a month before the chaos subsided. She could not help but feel that something was amiss.