Chapter 56: Let’s Spar
In the afternoon, she woke up from a nap.
Hearing the servants report, she learned that those two young gentlemen had actually gone to the countryside to visit Jiang Feng.
Jiang Wan felt slightly uneasy.
She had previously had a long dream that felt just like reality.
However, some things now didn’t seem to match up.
However, Father would soon return to office and his official career would flourish. In the Emperor’s later years, the princes would fight for the throne, and no one expected that the final victor would be the obscure Seventh Prince, and her aunt, the Seventh Princes Consort, would become the Empress.
Her turbulent life would slowly begin to unfold in the capital.
For now, she just needed to wait.
In her dream, the Second Uncle’s family was not there.
The Second Uncle’s family remained here; she had heard the servants mention that they ended up badly. They had acted extremely recklessly and received their due retribution.
Only Jiang Yu, because she went to the Prefecture City to work as a maid, was saved by a twist of fate and later met her in the capital.
It was just that at that time, Jiang Yu had actually become a concubine to her intended suitor, which was truly too awkward, making her a laughingstock in the capital.
In the dream, she was but a guest, with her joys and sorrows beyond her control.
Having woken up, Jiang Wan continued copying Buddhist scriptures.
In the afternoon, she learned that The Peddler and his wife had actually died.
In order to earn money to buy medicine for their sick child, they had been forced to do something wrong—it was pitiful and tragic.
Although they lacked handsome appearances, they truly loved each other. With the husband dead, the wife took her own life, following him in death—it was lamentable and commendable.
She earnestly copied two copies of the Sutra of Rebirth.
The maid, Maizi, sat in the corner, fanning vigorously toward the ice basin in front of her to make the room cooler, sweat dripping from her forehead.
In her heart, she was grateful to her young mistress for letting her sit and fan, which was more comfortable.
Jiang Yu, following her brother’s instructions to entertain the distinguished guests, had indeed managed to borrow fine grains from Landlord Liu’s house.
And it was the kind of fine grain with an interest-free period.
As long as it could be returned within a month, it was fine; if it exceeded a month, interest would be added.
Carrying the fine grains, Jiang Yu could practically smell the fragrance and ran home quickly.
After arriving home.
Her forehead was covered in sweat, and her eyes were sparkling.
She picked up a large cattail-leaf fan and fanned herself vigorously.
She also fanned the two distinguished guests nearby.
This was because her brother had actually put out the snacks that the distinguished guests had brought.
They were yellow and green and colorful; just looking at them made them seem sweet.
Jiang Feng looked at Jiang Yu speechlessly; he hadn’t wanted to put the pastries out either.
But just now, watching the two brothers try the snacks Jiang Yu had put out—one was so sour it made teeth ache, the other almost chipped a tooth—he had hurriedly put out the snacks.
Jiang Yu fanned the guests vigorously while simultaneously picking up a piece of pastry, placing it in front of the two guests first, then taking one for her brother, and finally taking one for herself.
Her expressions were extremely rich and straightforward.
Meng Shaoxia and Young Master He Chen both understood.
Meng Shaoxia realized that he might have misunderstood her just now.
She just wanted to eat food, not him…
Her gluttony was a bit heartbreaking, but her upbringing was still quite good—she was polite to others and polite to her brother.
Jiang Mianmian also curiously looked at the snacks, but she felt indifferent; she didn’t really want to eat them.
She wanted to drink milk more.
She missed Mother.
Mother had clearly promised Father last night that she wouldn’t go out.
As a result, as soon as Father left, Mother left too.
Wuwuwu o(╥﹏╥)o And she didn’t take her along.
Jiang Feng saw that Brother He kept curiously staring at Mianmian in his arms.
“Brother He, would you like to hold her?” Jiang Feng asked.
Young Master He Chen was completely bewildered.
“Ah? Hold?”
He had never held a little lady before, even though this little lady was very, very small.
“Alright, alright then.”
He clumsily reached out and took the child—she was alive, warm, and moving.
The moment they made contact, he was so scared he almost dropped the swaddle.
It felt like touching a soft, big white worm.
Fortunately, he restrained himself.
He carefully held the little infant and, under Jiang Feng’s guidance, sat down, holding her, one hand gently supporting the child’s head, letting the child’s bottom and body rest on his lap.
“An infant’s neck is very soft; I’m worried it might break, so you have to support her head,” Jiang Feng instructed earnestly.
Young Master He Chen panicked even more. Why did he agree to Brother Jiang’s request to hold the baby? He was so scared.
Even though this infant was so pretty that she didn’t seem to belong to this family, he was still very scared.
Because in big families, infants were extremely precious. He had at most glanced at one this small; he had never even touched one. Which child wasn’t surrounded by a bunch of wet nurses?
Brother Jiang was actually bold enough to let him hold her.
Brother Jiang really trusted him so much.
Fortunately, just sitting and supporting her with his hands, the child didn’t cry like the infants he saw at home—she wasn’t like a cat.
This infant was very well-behaved; her big eyes looked at him, her black pupils deep, and then she opened her mouth to smile, even drooling. Young Master He Chen supported the infant’s head with one hand while holding her, and his other hand was free to wipe her drool.
When wiping her drool, he couldn’t help but smile.
How could he think that such a small infant would grow up to become a peerless beauty?
Then wouldn’t he be wiping the drool of a peerless beauty?
Uh, this peerless beauty had a bit too much drool; as soon as he wiped it, it flowed again.
Young Master He Chen’s hand was light, wiping the soft, squishy baby flesh of Mianmian; he was really afraid of breaking it.
While holding the infant like this, the demonic “Wan’er, Wan’er” in his mind seemed to gradually fade away a bit.
Jiang Mianmian leaned in this person’s embrace, feeling so-so. It turned out that the fabric of good clothes didn’t seem as breathable as cotton and linen. However, this person was scented; definitely, there was a faint feeling of perfume.
Considering he brought so many delicious things, and Sister was so happy, and Brother also seemed very happy, she gave him face by being well-behaved and trying hard to smile.
In the bottom of her heart, there was a tiny bit of heartbreak—a child of a poor family had to sell smiles when so young.
Then the drool flowed even more…
Young Master He Chen: “Cannot wipe it all… simply cannot wipe it all…”
Meng Shaoxia didn’t dare to look at Jiang Feng’s younger sister eating anymore because he discovered that she looked so cute eating, munching munching, like a little squirrel. Watching the food disappear near her mouth, he couldn’t help but hand over another piece of pastry.
Only after doing it did he realize he had been abrupt.
As a result, the little girl actually opened her mouth and accepted it.
Meng Shaoxia blushed and hurriedly changed the subject.
He was worried that he wouldn’t be able to help himself from feeding her another piece.
“Brother Jiang, may I spar with you with swords?”
Jiang Feng was also just thinking about how to ask the other party for some sword techniques. One should not accept rewards without merit; he hadn’t provided any help, so rashly asking for something made him feel very embarrassed.
Hearing Brother Meng call him to spar, his eyes brightened.
It was a perfect opportunity to see Brother Meng’s sword techniques; perhaps if Brother Meng won and was happy, he would be willing to teach him.
“I don’t have a sword; may I use a stick instead?” Jiang Feng found a smoother wooden stick from his firewood pile.
Meng Shaoxia hadn’t expected such a question. In the morning, when sparring with Uncle Jiang in the martial arts field at Jiang Mansion, there were many weapons there, and they could choose at will, so he had asked that subconsciously. He hadn’t expected that Jiang Feng didn’t even have a sword.
“Fine.” He thought he would also use his sword as a stick to be fair.
Two youths: one in bright clothes on a spirited horse, the other in coarse linen clothes; one holding a coiled dragon sword, the other holding firewood from the backyard; one wearing fine boots, the other wearing straw sandals.
They faced each other and set their stances.
“Please.”
“Please.”
Meng Shaoxia reminded him first: “I have practiced swordsmanship since I was young, never stopping regardless of the cold or heat. My sword is very fast.”
Jiang Feng nodded earnestly, feeling very respectful.
It was said that literature is for the poor and martial arts for the rich; people who practice martial arts must surely eat meat every day, as only by eating meat would one have the strength to practice.
If it were his former self, having meat at every meal, he certainly wouldn’t have wanted to practice martial arts.
He gripped the stick earnestly.
He didn’t think too much.
He had to respond earnestly. From interacting with people, he had discovered that one must be sincere; sincerity was the ultimate technique.
Those young masters were willing to play with him because he was very sincere and never easily told lies.
Since Brother Meng wanted to spar, he must sincerely bring out his own abilities to respond.
Only then would Brother Meng be happy if he won.
He took a deep breath, no longer thinking about miscellaneous things.
In his eyes, there was only the Little Square Face in front of him and his sword.
Jiang Yu, taking advantage of no one noticing her, quietly swept the crumbs that had just fallen onto the table with her hand and poured them into her mouth to eat.
The pastry was too flaky.
Young Master He Chen stood ready, holding the infant in his arms, his hands not stopping, like a perpetual motion machine for wiping drool.
Jiang Mianmian shouted “yiya ya” to cheer for her brother.
Two horses were wagging their tails on the side, looking down at the village, occasionally lowering their heads to take a drink of water.
One of the white horses felt its ear was a bit itchy.
There was no wind.
Meng Shaoxia drew his sword.
The sword did not leave its scabbard, but his speed was extremely fast, without any dragging or hesitation, not wasting a bit of strength, as he slashed toward Jiang Feng.
Jiang Feng used the stick to parry.
“Bang!” The stick broke.
The sword landed on the ground.
Meng Shaoxia held his wrist with a pained expression.
Jiang Feng felt a bit embarrassed: “Brother Meng, Brother Meng, I’m sorry. My firewood was too brittle; it had dried out and broke in an instant.”
Young Master He Chen wanted to laugh, his abdomen rising and falling, but he didn’t feel comfortable laughing out loud. Brother Meng had his day too.
Jiang Mianmian tried hard to clench her fists and wave them: “Ahhhh!” (Brother is the best)
Jiang Yu looked at the Little Square Face, who was completely bewildered, mouth wide open, looking very frustrated, so she stuffed a piece of pastry into his hand.
“Don’t be sad, my brother’s strength is just average. My Mother’s strength is the big one; when my Mother wants to beat my brother, my brother can’t even run away.” Jiang Yu, worried that the wealthy Little Square Face would take his anger out on her brother, hurriedly stepped forward to comfort him.
Meng Shaoxia’s pale face slowly turned red again, and his wrist didn’t even hurt as much.
She cares about me!
The pastry is so choking… *hic*… *hic*…
