Chapter 290

Gu Xixi took it, lowered her head to look at the envelope, her expression inscrutable, seeming a bit absent-minded.

After a moment, she recalled something and asked Master Liu, "I wonder, for this trip, will Liu Xiansheng be riding a horse or taking a carriage?"

Master Liu said, "I'll take the carriage; I still have some books to bring back from the county town."

Besides, my luggage isn't much; if Boss Gu has anything that needs to be brought along, just hand it to me.

Gu Xixi happily said, "That's great; please wait a moment, I'll be right back."

Master Liu watched her hurrying away, a relieved expression appearing on his face.

Perhaps this time going to the capital I won't have to see Mu Nan Zhao's unpleasant face.

Originally Mu Nan Zhao intended to return to Huachi Du Cun himself, but before departure he was held up by an urgent matter, which is why Master Liu brought this letter.

Master Liu waited a while, then saw Gu Xixi and Shitou come out.

Both of them held a big, round, bulging bundle in their arms.

Shitou walked with great effort, already barely able to hold on, "Quick, quick, quick, Liu Xiansheng, help me catch it!"

Master Liu didn't have time to think; as he caught it, his arm sank down sharply, only then realizing the bundle was much heavier than he expected, and he hurriedly supported it with both arms.

"What is this so heavy?"

Shitou laughed and said, "Cold melon! A Western Region fruit, it's delicious!"

Master Liu certainly knew cold melon; Mu Nan Zhao, posing as his cousin, had displayed seeds at the Tudimiao, where he mentioned cold melon.

He hefted the bundle and said, "Just one is this big?"

"Could this be related to the winter melon eaten in summer?"

Gu Xixi said, "Although not the same family, they do have a slight relation."

"This thing is easily bruised; the journey to the capital is long, so we wrapped them in cotton padding and then tied them up in bundles."

Master Liu nodded, "Alright, I will certainly be careful on the road."

Shitou didn't forget to tell how to eat it, "With a big knife, like this, and then like this..."

He demonstrated the cutting technique, all learned from watching Gu Xixi cut it.

"Then you eat the red flesh; oh, the flesh also mixes with black seeds. Gu Xixi says the seeds are edible, but eating the melon seeds directly tastes bad, so it's better to eat and spit them out."

Master Liu, thinking, said, "Cutting and eating the melon, I understand—just like sweet melons and fragrant melons."

"The seeds mixed in the flesh—I've never seen that before, hard to imagine."

Gu Xixi laughed and said, "You can't know until you take a bite; then you'll understand."

She said, passing over the melon she held.

"In the first year of planting cold melons, these two are the sweetest variety, presentable enough. Please take the larger one to He Jinglan; no need to leave any words—upon receiving it, she'll know what I mean."

"This slightly smaller one, Master Liu can temporarily treat it as a specialty to bring home; sharing it with family and friends during the holidays also makes for an interesting item."

Master Liu listened while smiling and nodding; hearing the end, his face stiffened and he could no longer smile.

He wasn't sure, "One for Miss He, the other... for me?"

Gu Xixi nodded, "Yes."

Master Liu confirmed again, "Just like that... nothing else?"

Gu Xixi, knowing what he thought, smiled, "Right, nothing else."

Shitou frowned and said, "Liu Xiansheng, although there are only two, Gu Xixi's cold melons total only about twenty-odd."

"Besides this red-fleshed one, there are yellow- and white-fleshed; we've tried them, and the red-fleshed is the sweetest and best."

"At home we only have one red one left, saved for New Year's Eve; it's not even as big as these two!"

Master Liu helplessly said, "Minglei, ah, I'm not being greedy, I just..."

He glanced at Gu Xixi and couldn't help but stop speaking, "Boss Gu giving me such precious fruit—let alone using it to entertain guests during the holidays, even using it to start a poetry gathering would be enough to bring honor to the host's family."

"Thank you."

Gu Xixi smiled faintly, "It's quite heavy; Master Liu, you still have to travel tomorrow morning, so head back early."

Master Liu walked off holding the two large cold melons.

Upon receiving this gift, he was truly happy, and truly worried.

Boss Gu gave melons, but only missing that one person, showing they deliberately arranged it this way.

Master Liu thought, if it were just to avoid difficulty when seeing Mu Nan Zhao, he could again ask Boss Gu for one.

Not to mention whether Boss Gu would refuse.

Forcing difficulties on others is also not what a gentleman does.

Master Liu, under the moon, let out a long sigh.

Forget it; first take the melons home, then consider what to do along the way.

On New Year's Eve, before dawn, Gu Xixi heard the wind and snow outside; after she woke from a second sleep, the outside was already a pure white world.

Zhang Shen and Shitou were sweeping snow; in the courtyard's accumulated snow they had already swept out several small paths, each leading to several rooms and the Houyuan.

Gu Xixi laughed and said, "You all got up so early; why didn't you call me to sweep snow?"

She said she would go get a broom, but Zhang Shen said, "It's already swept clean; just don't get your hands dirty."

Under the eaves lay a pile of pre-chopped dry wheat stalks.

Shitou carried it over and evenly scattered it on the swept paths.

This was also the method Gu Xixi had taught before, for anti-slip use.

Actually, with such heavy snowfall, not knowing when it will stop, even if the sweeping doesn't take long, snow will continue to accumulate; there's really no need to go to this trouble.

But there is Lao Langzhong at home, who is used to coming and going on his own.

Usually it's fine, but in such snowy weather, we fear he might not see well and easily slip.

After scattering the wheat stalks, Gu Xixi and Zhang Shen, frozen, just wanted to sneak into the house.

Shitou was nevertheless full of vigor, "Granny Zhang, Sister Xixi, I'm going to go find Gouwa bro!"

Zhang Shen frowned from the cold, "In such freezing weather, who can go out and play with you?"

Shitou excitedly said, "There are lots of people, Gouwa bro, Heidan and them have long prepared to have a snowball fight; with such heavy snow today, I'll go call them, they're sure to all come out!"

As he spoke, he pulled open the courtyard gate, just as he ran out, he heard a sound, "Huh?"

Gu Xixi and Zhang Shen walked to the main hall door, hearing the sound they turned back to look.

Only see Shitou poking half his body inside, "Big Brother An is here!"

Anyway, they're not outsiders, after Shitou said that he ran off.

Gu Xixi and Zhang Shen looked at each other, bewildered: it's the New Year, why is An Qinghe not going home but running here?

In the midst of their doubt, the sound of horse hooves arrived right before them.

Immediately after, a person appeared, completely wrapped in a black long-fur cloak, his head also covered tightly by a windcap, his face unseen, his whole body and head covered in snow.

This person totally didn't treat himself as an outsider, familiar with the place, he also led the horse into the courtyard.

"Little An," Zhang Shen called out, "Is it you?"

The black-fur cloak lifted its head, revealing a pair of deep blue eyes.

Even though the weather is freezing cold, it cannot diminish the fervent smile shining from those eyes.

"Auntie! Xixi! It's me! I'm back!"

An Qinghe simply opened the stable next to Lai Fu's, putting his own horse inside.

He strode across the snow, at the same time taking off his windcap, revealing a Western-sculpture-like handsome face.