Chapter 355: Both Palm and Back Are Flesh

You! You secretly kicked Yu Baobao a few times—do you think I didn't see? Knock your head!

Waa—waa—waa—

You! You know Guainunu has a bad temper—why provoke him? Knock your head!

Sob—sob—sob—

After settling the commotion in the rear courtyard, the haze was cleared.

Inside the flower hall, Du Shanü calmly held her small bowl and began her breakfast.

Today's breakfast was Poria porridge, accompanied by pickled young ginger, sesame pastries, steamed cakes, and vegetable-filled soup buns...

Although it still can't compare to a truly wealthy household, compared to the days of three bowls of plain congee with a side of pickles, it's certainly improved a lot.

Du Shanü sipped the porridge in small gulps, a rare ease showing in her brows and eyes.

"...... Yu Baobao, what do you usually eat in Cang Cheng?"

"If anyone treats you badly, or if there's any situation in Cang Cheng, just tell me—I'll back you up when I go back."

Although Chinu was watching closely, preventing her from going to find Yu Baobao for a chat last night, instead it had Chinu wake Yu Baobao to sleep on the floor...

But her longing for Yu Baobao in her heart was indeed genuine.

On Yu Baobao, there were no schemes or tricks...

All of it was unprecedented.

His strength lies in being like a harbor of the Dao, swallowing all things, embracing a hundred rivers.

It's just a pity that he falls short in...

Du Shanü didn't dare think further, for Yu Baobao had already lifted her porridge and responded earnestly:

"No, no, everyone is actually very good to me!"

Since the Wife Master returned home and caused a big fire, and the older brother subsequently recognized him, everything has become extremely smooth.

The Wife Master asked what he ate; in fact, his daily breakfast was better than what he ate at her place, and not much different from what he used to have in the palace.

Each day there were at least two staples chosen from lotus seed porridge, millet porridge, milk flaky pastries, silver-thread white flour buns, thousand-layer cake, pineapple cake, red bean rolls, and so on.

The side dishes for the porridge were chosen from pickled crisp cucumber, pickled radish, fermented ginger, fermented tofu, cold-mixed dragon beard vegetable, pickled snow vegetable, and so on.

The meat dishes included steamed duck tongues, sliced crystal pork hock, shredded smoked chicken, steamed shrimp egg, and so on, from which one was chosen.

After finishing the staples, side dishes, and meat dishes, it was time for soup drinks and fresh fruit.

The soup drinks included cow's milk, almond tea, rock sugar silver ear soup, osmanthus clear tea, and so on.

"Slurp!"

Yu Baobao counted off the dishes on her fingers, Du Shanü listened, stunned, and let out an unseemly slurp, forcibly suppressing the saliva in her mouth:

"Sounds really good......"

It's more than just good.

This is just breakfast, breakfast!

It's practically aimed at fattening Yu Baobao until she's glossy and sleek!

Yu Lve, that stubborn donkey—oh no, that hard bone—though outwardly very tough, is also very protective of his own shortcomings...

Du Shanü's mind wandered, then she heard Yu Baobao happily respond, and continued slurping:

"Yes, yes! It's all what the older brother ordered."

"The older brother himself doesn't eat it, and doesn't let others eat it either, so he only prepared a portion for me."

As for himself, each morning he picks up two large buns, brews a bag of tea to take with him, then heads straight into the martial arts field and doesn't come out until noon, when his stomach growls and he returns to eat.

Lunch and dinner are actually much the same as breakfast—everyone first sets aside any good things for me...

Thus, it's simply a simple day.

Each morning he wakes up, eats breakfast, then opens the window and zones out for a while, after which it's nearly time for lunch; after lunch he takes an efficient nap, then upon waking goes to check on his uncle, after which it's nearly dinnertime; after dinner he either writes a letter to the Wife Master or carves a few figurines with a chisel, and the day passes.

This is roughly the same as his days in the palace before.

By rights, there's nothing to be dissatisfied about.

But, if one had to point out something special, it would be...

Before, he had not met the Wife Master, nor seen the brilliant sunlight, so he could endure loneliness.

He would sleep an entire day without feeling that he was wasting time or lacking anything.

It's just a pity that the world and fate are ever-changing...

Yet he happened to meet the Wife Master.

Anyone who has seen the Wife Master naturally wishes to stay by her side forever, and he is no exception.

Therefore, he can't just drift through a day as he used to; he constantly thinks—

"What is the Wife Master doing?"

"Has the Wife Master eaten?"

"Has the Wife Master slept?"

All of these are trivial thoughts, hard to enlighten.

Yet he cannot suppress that longing.

He certainly knows that showing up unannounced to see the Wife Master this time will surely cause trouble for many—not just the older brother's worry, the Wife Master might even get angry...

But what can be done?

He really can't hold back his anxiety; he can no longer bear missing the Wife Master.

Afterward, he accepts any blame or scolding.

All he hopes for is to catch a glimpse of the Wife Master this time—that's what matters!

Yu Baobao's voice isn't loud, perhaps because she feels hard to speak up, and even tends to speak softer and softer.

He obediently lowered his head holding the bowl, still pretending he was slurping, but Du Shanü sharp-eyed, had already seen that the bowl was already empty, only the bottom remained.

Du Shanü nudged Chinu beside her with her elbow, then she reached out and took Yu Baobao's hand, her eyebrows and eyes curved as she spoke.

"...... You came to see me, I'm so happy I can't even keep up, how could I blame you?"

"Just this time you came alone, no one said anything, it really frightened everyone...... Don't worry, I've already caught the thief who detained our letters; from now on, if you miss me, just write me a letter, and when I see it I'll definitely come home."

Du Shanü's hand covered that broad, warm hand; she intended to soothe, but she didn't expect that the hand's temperature was even hotter than hers, and instead it warmed her.

Their fingers intertwined, warm and touching the skin like a wandering dragon, tirelessly roaming and spreading.

Just as before, just as before......

In the autumn of last year, when Du Shanü first saw him, she took his hand, the first glance when she helped him up.

Yu Baobao stared blankly at her own hand; after several breaths, she murmured as if waking from a dream.

"I knew it, I knew it——Wife Master must also be thinking of me!"

"Wife Master, I also miss you so much, and I've stored up a lot of things I want to say to you! Uncle has improved a lot recently; although still unconscious, he can now murmur 'Xiao Ai'......"

"Crack crack!"

"Moreover, moreover, the autumn peaches outside Cang Cheng have also turned red; I still remember that at the end of last year, you said you would take me to pick peaches......"

"Crack crack!"

"Moreover, moreover......"

"Crack crack!"

The faint sound was actually too loud, at times even drowning out Yu Baobao's voice.

Du Shanü finally regained a bit of her senses, looking toward the side where Chinu, after finishing adding porridge for Yu Baobao, had been frantically scraping the bottom of the vat.

Chinu is usually favored, but whenever Yu Baobao is present, he becomes quite unseemly.

Du Shanü endured and endured, but finally couldn't hold back, she softly scolded.

"...... If you don't want to add, then don't; just put down the porridge vat, why bother with the bowls and chopsticks?"

"Forget it, I can't persuade you; go call Afang. Afang is usually very early, I don't know why today she hasn't come for a meal at this time......"