Chapter 14 Saying Goodbye to Spring and Welcoming Summer

Chapter 14 Saying Goodbye to Spring and Welcoming Summer

Chapter Summary: "He's Ximen Qing?!"

"Lord Li! Please come in!"

"Dong Erlang! How have you been?"

"Minister Sun! I've heard so much about you..."

At the hour of You (5-7 PM) on the day of Lixia (the beginning of summer), at Fangting Garden of Qingchen Academy

As the setting sun casts its last rays, the garden is filled with the gentle glow of tung blossoms.

Two long tables were set up in the center, with guests seated on either side to admire the peonies and fine wines. They frequently raised their glasses, laughed, and chatted, creating a lively atmosphere.

Under the unnoticed corridor, after confirming that everything was in order, Pan Yue picked up the candy box she had prepared earlier and followed the winding corridor clung to by the honeysuckle, walking slowly to the South Garden, where she knocked on the door of the side hall where Mr. Qingchen and his family of three were staying.

"Sister!"

Upon seeing the maidservant welcoming her at the door, Zhou Fangyan's eyes lit up. She broke free from her mother and, with her short legs, wobbled towards Pan Yue.

"Look, sister!"

Before she could even get close, she hurriedly untied the little fox from her waist, held it high above her head, and said with bright eyes, "Yan Yan made new clothes for the little fox!"

Pan Yue looked down and saw that the little pine tree she was holding was wearing a silk coat that matched the vermilion flame pattern between its eyebrows, making it look quite impressive.

Pan Yue smiled and nodded, replying, "Young lady Yan Yan is very clever and skillful!"

"Ayan! Don't be rude!"

A soft shout came from the hall, and Pan Yue immediately straightened her posture.

Zhou Fangyan pouted, glared at Zhou Qingchen, and sheepishly returned to Madam Liang's side. Pan Yue stepped forward and bowed to the two seated figures, saying, "This servant greets you, sir and madam!"

Zhou Qingchen had already put down the book he was holding when she entered. He stroked his beard and examined her for a moment, and after noticing something, he let out a cryptic hum and said in a deep voice, "Today is the Summer Festival banquet. Why is Madam not helping out in Fangting, but instead coming to the South Garden?"

"In reply to your question, sir!"

Pan Yue picked up the box of sweet treats that she had placed beside her earlier, and as she opened the lid, she explained, "When I visited the academy last time, I overheard Uncle Wang mentioning that after the annual summer banquet, as the weather gets warmer, everyone in the household loses their appetite. I've been spending a lot of time in the kitchen lately, and when I had some free time, I thought of this and prepared some refreshing and appetizing tea and fruit."

She held the food box in both hands, bowed, and said, "This is a small token of my respect. I hope you will not find my cooking clumsy!"

"Tea and fruit?"

Madam Liang, sitting to the right, was helping Zhou Fangyan adjust her front of her dress and fasten the little fox logo. Upon hearing this, she paused and subconsciously turned to look back.

Upon seeing the candy box held up in front of him, he paused slightly, but quickly relaxed his brows and smiled.

"My wife is so thoughtful!"

But the food in her hand was divided into nine sections, each three inches in size.

The candied cherries in the upper left corner represent her sweet tooth, the candied hawthorns in the lower right corner represent Mr. Qingchen who loves sour flavors, and the salted peach slices in the center represent Ayan who prefers salty tastes... Madam Liang's eyes were filled with scrutiny, and the faster she finished, the happier she became.

Jujube cakes shaped like hairpins, sesame crisps shaped like books, rice balls shaped like little rabbits... Regardless of the taste, just by looking at their appearance and color, one can tell the ingenuity of the person who prepared them.

Madam Liang's gaze shifted from Pan Yue, who had her eyes lowered, to her husband beside her, who was squinting and seemed moved. Her clear eyes flickered, and she smiled, saying, "Sir, you have discerning eyes and are truly good at recognizing people!"

A glint flashed in Zhou Qingchen's eyes. After a moment of contemplation, he stroked his long beard and said to the people below, "My wife is insightful. I hope we can visit each other more often in the future. Ayan will be delighted!"

Just as Wu Song once said!

Pan Yue's heart, which had been pounding all the way, finally settled down, and she replied gracefully, "Thank you for your kind words, sir and madam!"

"Sister!"

Meanwhile, Zhou Fangyan, who had been sitting still for a long time, saw that the others were finally chatting and laughing as usual. She broke free from Liang Shi again, ran down to the hall, held the little fox in one hand and grabbed Pan Yue's sleeve with the other, and begged her, "Sister, accompany Yan Yan to Fangting!"

"It's rare to see Yan Yan so happy with anyone."

With a hint of helplessness in her smile, Madam Liang glanced at her husband and said with a smile to the people below, "If my wife doesn't mind the trouble, why don't you go back to Fangting with Yan Yan?"

"It would be my great honor!"

Pan Yue smiled and agreed, then took Zhou Fangyan's hand and walked briskly along the winding corridor.

"Yunyun!"

In the back garden of Fangting, under the winding corridor with its drooping honeysuckle branches, Pan Yue picked a bunch of honeysuckle that had peeked into the corridor and was about to hand it to Xiao Fangyan when hurried footsteps came rushing over.

The two women subconsciously looked up and saw that it was Wu Song, who had been invited to the event. Upon seeing the two of them appear under the corridor, he ignored looking to the left and right and happily came to greet them.

"Yunyun is back!"

Pan Yue's gaze passed over him and landed on the garden where people were exchanging toasts. She leaned closer and asked him, "How is it?"

Just as Yunyun predicted!

Songsong stopped beside her, glanced down at the little fox that Xiaofangyan was holding, her eyes suddenly turned down, and she quickly turned to Pan Yue and said: "Those two who are always following Song Dai, one has ants in his pocket and the other has medicine hidden in his bottle!"

Song Song clenched his right fist, then angrily said, "Luckily, I was quick enough to catch them and prevent them from succeeding!"

"A tiger-slaying hero, so capable?"

Seeing his indignant expression out of the corner of her eye, Pan Yue lowered her eyes and teased him, only to meet his gaze when she looked up.

As the evening breeze blew by, the honeysuckle, bathed in the glow of the setting sun, cast swaying, dancing shadows between the two of them.

They were so close, their breaths mingled.

Bathed in the gentle spring sunshine, the shadow of a woman trembling slightly at her temples, and the lingering glow of the sunset in her eyes, are all as clear as a painting.

"Clang!"

Who is startled by the slight tremor of a heartstring, as the heart's melody becomes a tune?

Jian Tong narrowed slightly, and Pan Yue subconsciously looked away, glancing around furtively.

"Sister!"

Zhou Fangyan's hand was squeezed so hard it hurt. She looked up at this one, then at that one, blinking her big eyes innocently, and asked, "Brother, why is your face red? Is it from the sunset?"

"Yan Yan, don't..."

Pan Yue felt an uncomfortably hot flush rise to her cheeks. Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly felt a gaze from the shadows pierce through the noisy, bustling crowd, lingering and then fixed on her.

Pan Yue felt a chill run down her spine and instinctively turned around to look, quickly spotting the undisguised gaze.

The man was seven feet tall, dressed in brocade robes and a jade belt, with a handsome, exquisite appearance, but he also had a somewhat frivolous and dissolute demeanor that made him unpleasant to behold.

He had clearly been discovered, but the man seemed completely unconcerned. Instead, he opened his folding fan, raised the cup in front of him, and smiled broadly at her.

Pan Yue frowned.

"What's wrong with Yunyun?"

Noticing the change in her emotions, Songsong subconsciously followed her gaze.

"What happened?"

Pan Yue suddenly snapped out of her daze, picked up Zhou Fangyan who was playing with the honeysuckle string, blocked the man's view, glanced sideways, and looked up at Wu Song, saying, "Who is the man in red brocade on the right side of Zhou Dao?"

"Zhou Dao?"

Following her directions, Songsong looked around for a moment, tilted her head and thought for a moment, then turned to her and said, "Yunyun, why did you ask about him? I just heard people talking about him. They said that he runs a herbal medicine shop in front of the county. He has become rich not long ago, and the neighbors respectfully call him Master Ximen."

“Ximen…”

Pan Yue's pupils constricted, she stared at Songsong, her brows furrowed: "He's Ximen Qing?!"

Songsong looked puzzled, glancing at the dashing man before turning to Pan Yue: "Yunyun knows him? How does Yunyun know his name?"

"I……"

Pan Yue choked up, unconsciously tightening her grip on Zhou Fangyan. Just as she was wondering how to explain, several more footsteps hurriedly approached from the left and right.

"Young lady! What brings you to the backyard?"

"benefactor!"

On the left is Granny Qiu, who hastily arrived, while on the right are Fan Cheng and Zhao Wan, who are in love and have finally become husband and wife.

"Thank you for your trouble, Granny Qiu!"

Pan Yue nodded slightly to Zhao Wan, and just as she handed Zhou Fangyan over to Granny Qiu, two full cups of sake were shoved in front of her with a thud.

"benefactor!"

When people are celebrating a happy occasion, it is not long after the banquet begins that Fan Cheng, who never refuses anyone, has already flushed his cheeks and is drowsy with drunkenness.

After Zhou Fangyan left, he immediately pulled Zhao Wan aside, raised his cup forward, and, slurring his words, said to Pan Yue, "Captain Wu, Madam Pan, when we returned to the academy the other day, the teacher told us everything that had happened..."

His eyes shimmered as he looked at Zhao Wan, who was standing close beside him, and he choked up as he said, "From this day forward, you two are the second parents of Wan'er and me, Fan Cheng! If there is anything you need from me in the future, please don't hesitate to ask! I will do my utmost, even at the cost of my life!"

"careful!"

Seeing him stumble and fall forward, Zhao Wan immediately caught him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the gazes of Pan Yue and the other woman. A blush crossed his face. After thinking for a moment, he reached out and took the wine cup from Fan Cheng's hand, then turned to Pan Yue and the other woman and said, "My lady, please don't be offended. I am not a good drinker, but every word I have said is from the heart! We are deeply grateful for the great kindness shown to you and Captain Wu, and we will never forget it!"

"My lady, there's no need for such formalities!"

Pan Yue quickly waved her hand, raised her glass, and sincerely said, "True love will never be betrayed!"

Whether it was because of her words or because the evening sun was too dazzling, Zhao Wan drank the wine in her cup in one gulp, and when she looked up, her eyes were already red.

After turning her back to the two men for a long time, she turned around with a face full of apology and curtsied, saying, "Madam Pan, I just heard the guests at the banquet mention that the tea, fruit and snacks served at the academy today were all made by you?"

Pan Yue glanced at the long table in front of the guests and nodded, saying, "Indeed, but I wonder, Madam..."

"We are deeply grateful, and this is no empty talk!" Zhao Wan turned to look at the various teas and fruits on the table, thought for a moment, and then turned to Pan Yue, saying, "Putting aside other matters, my lady, you may not know this, but my cousin He Xi is the manager of the Han Dan Embroidery Shop in the east of the city. I often hear her mention that if distinguished guests visit, she must prepare teas and fruits in advance to entertain them. I'll ask my cousin, and if there's anything needed, I'll definitely ask you for help, madam!"

"So that's how it is!" Pan Yuejiao's eyes flickered, and she nodded in response, "Thank you for your consideration, Madam!"

As dusk fell and the moon rose above the willow branches, the three members of the Wu family embarked on their journey home.

The lingering moon follows people as they go.

On their way home, Pan Yue and Wu Song walked side by side in front, while Wu Da carried the load behind them.

After listening to praise, whether sincere or insincere, all day long, and bowing and scraping, Wu Da remained excited and chattered incessantly.

"My wife has such a clever idea!"

At the street corner, Wu Da, with his carrying pole across his shoulder, walked around to the front of the two men, his eyes gleaming and spittle flying, saying, "At the banquet today, everyone praised my wife's skillful hands, and everyone asked where she usually sets up her stall! In my opinion," his eyes darted around, Wu Da waved his hand, full of momentum, "wife, second brother, starting tomorrow, we won't sell plain white flour pancakes anymore, we'll only sell the fancy pancakes my wife makes, how about that?"

"No!"

Pan Yue suddenly frowned, paused, and carefully said, "How can mere pleasantries after a hearty meal be taken seriously? Besides," she looked at Wu Da, her expression solemn, "Da Lang has been frequenting the market for many years, surely you know that rarity increases value?"

Wu Da stiffened, craning his neck to look at Pan Yue, then at Wu Song standing beside him. He shrugged and said sullenly, "According to my wife's wishes, no matter how well the fancy pancakes sell, I have to work from dawn till dusk?"

"Brother, please don't misunderstand, what I meant was..."

Pan Yue pondered for a moment, then turned to Wu Dadao: "To avoid any drunken talk at the banquet, we will continue to sell only eight baskets of steamed buns each day. Four of them will be ordinary white flour steamed buns, just to differentiate them from those of Yanzitang. If you buy five at a time, you will receive a serving of Wu family's 'secret fruit fritters.' The remaining half..."

Pan Yue glanced at the empty steamer basket on his shoulder and slowly said, "For the first three days, prepare according to the styles of tiger head, ingot, book, and official hat. After three days, determine the preferences of the county people and make adjustments accordingly; change the style every ten days. What do you think, Wu Da?"

Without a second thought, Wu Da lowered his eyes, his displeasure evident, and said in a muffled voice, "What if another academy, embroidery shop... specifically requests your assistance, Madam?"

"Perfect!"

Pan Yue smiled, thought for a moment, and said matter-of-factly, "It's just that we need to set the rules in advance, pay the deposit half a month in advance, and confirm the quantity, pattern, and any special requirements; if you and I have to rush the work," she paused slightly, a sly glint in her eyes, and laughed, "that's fine too, once the money is in place, everything can be discussed!"

Wu Da suddenly raised his head, about to ask his brother's opinion, when he saw his younger brother, his eyes glazed with drunkenness, following closely behind his new sister-in-law. His bright, clear eyes reflected the autumn water, and Wu Da's expression froze. He blurted out, "Second brother?!"

"Hmm?" Songsong tilted her head back, her expression calm. "Brother?"

Judging from his calm demeanor, his amorous gaze just now seemed to be merely a fleeting illusion caused by the gentle touch of the evening moon.

Wu Da paused for a moment, then abruptly looked away, scratching his head in annoyance, and asked, "What does Second Brother think?"

"Me?" Songsong looked at Pan Yue, who was turning around to look at her, and said with a downcast eyebrow, "I'll listen to Yunyun!"

Wu Da's expression darkened slightly. He glanced at him, tightened his grip on the load, and said coldly, "It's getting late, let's go!"

Pan Yue: "..."

After finishing their daily tasks, everyone returned to their rooms; the moon was already high in the sky.

Pan Yue lifted the quilt, but before she could get into bed, she suddenly heard a "chirp" sound from the window. She looked up and saw that it was indeed Songsong, bathed in moonlight, knocking on her window.

"It's late today, do you perhaps know when I'll be in my room?"

Pan Yue picked up the little fox, rubbed its head, and muttered as she looked out the window.

"Speaking of which, where did you hide during the day? On the mountain? In the bushes? Or is there a fox den in the yard...?"

Her ears twitched slightly, and the fox's tail wrapped around her fair wrist. The little fox nestled its head into her arm, its eyes bright, but it remained silent.

Pan Yue smiled gently, kissed his upturned little head as usual, washed his limbs, and carried him back to bed.

At first, no difference was noticed. After all, every day when the fox appeared at the window, it puffed up its ears, had clear eyes, and swung its tail rapidly, as if it were in high spirits.

As soon as she crawled into bed, Pan Yue hugged the little fox as usual. Looking up, she saw that the little fox's eyes were like mountain spring water under the moon, clear and shimmering.

Um?

Their eyes met, and the little fox suddenly stood up, took two steps forward using the pillow as a stepping stone, propped his tail up, and nuzzled his head under her neck.

As if they couldn't wait any longer.

"Oh dear, oh dear!"

Pan Yue smiled and pressed down on his back, trying to stop his head from burrowing forward. Just as she was about to pick him up, she glanced down and saw the little fox burying his head in his chest again, ignoring her. Her hand holding his head paused slightly, and Pan Yue belatedly realized...

Why is it so hot?

"Awooo"

The little fox remained pressed against her palm, emitting low growls that were difficult to decipher, as if it were burning with heat and acting solely on instinct.

"Are you sick? Or...?"

Remembering something, Pan Yue's movements suddenly froze as she picked up the little fox. She looked up at the window, then back at the fox in her arms, and murmured softly, "But spring... it should be over by now..."

Seeing the little fox's tail rising higher and higher, and sensing his growing impatience, Pan Yue stiffened her posture and muttered to herself, "Speaking of which, is Songsong a male or female fox..."

"Chirp!"

With its left hind leg pulled halfway apart, before Pan Yue could even see clearly, the little fox's fur bristled instantly. Its claws instinctively snapped open, then suddenly snapped shut, and its little paws kicked hard into her arms!

With a whoosh, the little fox leaped onto the windowsill like a white ribbon, its tail twitching, giving her a resentful look before leaping into the night.

"This is?"

Pan Yue looked bewildered, not understanding the meaning behind the fox's glance. A gentle evening breeze blew through the window, carrying a faint scent of wine. Pan Yue paused, then murmured to herself, "Foxes can get drunk too?"

Half an hour later at Jingyang Ridge.

After hearing what had happened on Purple Stone Street, Granny Pine under the moon laughed so hard that her pine branches trembled and the night birds fled in fright.

The little fox curled up in the shimmering moonlight, rolling around on the ground in embarrassment.

"Mother-in-law!!"

The sound of the pine trees gradually subsided, and the dew, carrying the fragrance of pine wood, slowly fell.

Forehead, nose tip, lips... After drinking the dew, the heat in my body subsided slightly. I sat up comfortably and gently licked my body, which was damp with the night dew.

A fragrant pine branch gently brushed against his forehead, and the voice of Granny Pine, like an evening breeze, slowly entered his ears.

"A fox's heart is devoted to only one fox in its lifetime. Since Songsong has chosen Yunyun, remember this well: in everything, she must come first..."