Mo Yan shook Xiao Ruiyuan’s hand and whispered, "This place is so remote, how did you find it?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ruiyuan’s face showed a look of reminiscence, "The year I was five, I was angry with my grandfather and ran away from the Hou Mansion without even eating dinner. It was just like today, cold and snowing. I was both cold and hungry, not carrying even One Wen money with , and without knowing how, I ended up at the alley, lured in by the sll of noodles."
As he spoke, Xiao Ruiyuan looked towards the busy elderly couple outside with an increasingly tender expression, "Back then, the old man and woman were quite young, and this place was bustling with good business. Despite being busy, they noticed staring at the noodles in the pot, and they pulled inside and cooked a bowl of chicken noodles."
He was very cold and extrely hungry, he ward his hands over the steaming bowl of noodles but did not start eating with chopsticks, because he saw that patrons would leave copper coins on the table after they finished their al, and without any copper coins, he didn’t eat.
"Then what happened?" Seeing Xiao Ruiyuan pause, Mo Yan couldn’t wait to continue asking, her heart filled with gratitude for the kind-hearted elderly couple outside, and she suddenly understood why he had brought her here.
"Later on... The old lady thought I couldn’t use chopsticks, and maybe she was also afraid I might scald myself, so she ca over to feed . Back then, apart from my grandfather, I wasn’t close to anyone and was wary of the old lady, unwilling to eat the noodles she was feeding ." Xiao Ruiyuan’s smile beca more evident as he talked, seemingly amused by his childhood behavior, "The old lady coaxed for a long ti, and eventually I couldn’t resist the hunger and ate the noodles she fed . Later, thinking she was feeding too slowly, I took the chopsticks myself and finished the whole bowl of noodles."
Mo Yan had thought this nostalgic and warm mory would continue but didn’t expect such a sudden twist. She pictured in her mind as though she could really turn back ti, a scene appeared before her eyes: A tiny tot, no taller than the table, sitting on a high chair, swinging his little short legs, burying his face in a noodle bowl larger than his head, and eating noodles with an aloof expression.
"Pfft!" Unable to hold it in, Mo Yan burst out laughing, daringly reaching out to pinch Xiao Ruiyuan’s cheek, laughing so hard she could hardly catch her breath, "I never expected, never thought that you were so contrary as a child. But, really, you were too cute, how I wish I could have seen it with my own eyes. It’s such a pity."
Xiao Ruiyuan’s temples twitched uncontrollably, and despite trying to restrain himself, he couldn’t hold back and expressionlessly removed the mischievous hand, holding it tightly in his palm.
"Haha, don’t be so stingy, I’m really curious as to how you grew up to be like you are now." Her actions interrupted, but her internal fantasies didn’t stop as Mo Yan fell laughing into Xiao Ruiyuan’s arms, with two drops of emotional tears streaming from her eyes.
"Stop laughing..."
Xiao Ruiyuan helplessly looked at the woman in his arms, regretting sharing so much detail, but seeing her bright smile, suddenly felt it wasn’t that bad. Perhaps these stories could cheer her up if she was ever feeling down. Unfortunately, there weren’t many childhood incidents he could rember, and such childish behavior was impossible to happen again as he grew up.
The blissfully laughing Mo Yan was unaware of Xiao Ruiyuan’s thoughts, or else in her excitent she might have pounced on him, "So what happened next, did your grandfather find you, or did the old couple send you back?"
Xiao Ruiyuan’s gaze fell back onto the elderly couple, his deep voice revealing a hint of nostalgia, "I didn’t rember the way ho, nor did I want to go back. When the old lady asked if I rembered where my ho was, I lied and said I’d forgotten, proposing to go ho with them. The old couple were kindhearted and truly took ho with them, until three days later when my grandfather found and took away."
The environnt in which he was raised, made him trust no one but his grandfather. Yet at that ti, he impulsively suggested going ho with the couple. Perhaps it was the bowl of chicken noodles offered without expecting anything in return, or perhaps intuition told him they were good people, or maybe he was moved by the maternal tenderness of the old lady... In any case, he went ho with the old man and woman.
Even though he only lived with them for three short days before his grandfather personally took him back, these were the happiest days of his life. The old couple treated him as their own child although their house was drafty, the beds rigid, and the food coarse. Yet when he awoke from his dreams at midnight, he truly felt that humble shack was his ho, subconsciously forgetting the luxurious but cold, cage-like Hou Mansion.
Mo Yan listened quietly, her heart twinging with pain. Even without the man explicitly saying it, she could imagine how much he, as a child, had longed for a warm ho. The Old Marquis did love him, but the affection of a grandparent can never replace that of a parent, so when soone offered him a warm hand, he clung to it tightly.
Xiao Ruiyuan seed to sense sothing, he tightened his grip on Mo Yan’s hand, and his tone beca much more cheerful, "Grandfather gave Gold and Silver as a thanks to the uncle and aunt, but they refused to accept it. I told them that they could take it as paynt for the noodles, provided I co to eat frequently, and they accepted. After that, I ca often, until I was dispatched to the border and visits beca less frequent."
Mo Yan blinked away the moisture in her eyes and looked up at Xiao Ruiyuan with a smile, "Considering how many years you’ve eaten and drunk for free, who knows if the Silver Grandfather gave was enough. The uncle and aunt certainly drew the short straw when they t you."
At that mont, the aunt walked over with two full bowls of shredded chicken noodles, picking up the conversation, "Not at all, not at all. That Silver will last you until we can’t cook anymore."
Xiao Ruiyuan quickly stood up, took the shredded chicken noodles and placed them on the table, then took out chopsticks from the basket and handed them to Mo Yan, softly cautioning her not to burn herself.
The aunt looked at them with a beaming smile, her eyes filled with even more kindness, "Seeing the two of you get along so well makes feel much younger. You have to keep this up; I still want to see you bring your children over to eat noodles."
Understanding the aunt’s hint, Mo Yan and Xiao Ruiyuan both blushed deeply. They had not yet married, and the matter of children was even further from mind. Just thinking about how children are made made their faces turn as red as if they were bleeding.
The uncle, who ca over later, saw Mo Yan wishing she could bury her head under the table and laughed heartily. He took his wife’s hand and started to walk out, "Don’t bother the young couple anymore, co outside with and we’ll tidy up."
The old aunt didn’t feel embarrassed at all. Holding her husband’s hand, she walked out and turned her head to remind them, "Eat while it’s hot. Noodles aren’t good when they’re overcooked."
Mo Yan lifted her head, her gaze falling on the uncle and aunt’s tightly clasped hands, envy evident in her eyes. Simple affection that lasts a lifeti, a happiness in modest living, was not sothing everyone could have.
Xiao Ruiyuan did not miss that longing look; he gripped Mo Yan’s hand tightly, resolved never to let go...
Having left the small noodle shop, it was snowing even harder outside, and a thin layer of snow had already piled up on the ground. Xiao Ruiyuan helped Mo Yan onto his mount, then climbed up behind her, wrapping her securely in his arms.
Urging the horse on towards the city gates at a pace only slightly faster than walking, worried about Mo Yan getting cold from the wind, Xiao Ruiyuan maintained a controlled speed. Little Black and Da HongZao, carrying the gifts from the Princess Consort Liang, closely followed behind.
The city gates were not yet closed, and once they exited, the snow fell in even larger flakes, with a mouthful of snow easily caught with each open-mouthed breath. Xiao Ruiyuan on horseback hugged Mo Yan’s waist and turned her to face him, then wrapped her tightly with his wide fur coat.
Mo Yan, embracing Xiao Ruiyuan’s waist, buried her head in his chest, listening to the strong and steady heartbeat from within his clothes, feeling especially at peace.
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