Chapter 28

“mother!”

“Ting’er…” The gentle and beautiful woman stood in the fenced yard, wearing a white-washed sarong, a wooden hairpin tied all her hair behind her head, she turned her head and waved with a smile, “I’m back , come and help mother.”

“Mom, what are you going to do?”

“Mother wants to plant some flowers and melons and fruits in the yard. When the spring comes, the garden will be full of spring scenery. It must be beautiful, and your father will definitely like it.”

“Okay, I’ll help you.”

There were two figures, one big and one small, busy from morning to evening, his mother wiped the dust off his face, and suddenly turned to look at the person at the gate of the courtyard, with a smile on his face.

“Father! You are back, I want to eat buns!”

“I bought it back for you, but have you finished your homework today?”

“finished!”

The picture of the three standing at the door chatting and laughing gradually became blurred. In an instant, when looking over the past, the dream was like a tile that was suddenly pulled away, and began to collapse one after another, smashing everyone’s head to pieces…

“Father…mother!”

Zhao Yelan woke up from the dream, covered in cold sweat, gasped for a while with his mouth open, and his eyes gradually recovered.

“you’re awake?”

Only then did he realize that there was a person in front of him, hugged him, and patted his back repeatedly.

He slowly raised his eyes, met Yan Mingting’s eyes, his voice was still a little dry: “Why are you here?”

“I came back after sweeping the tomb and found that you were not in the mansion, so I came here.” Yan Mingting said.

“release”.

“Then don’t kick the quilt, you have a serious fever, you have to sweat.” Yan Mingting let go of his hands, and took a defensive posture, thinking that he was about to be beaten or kicked, but the other party actually walked into his arms indifferently. Li sat up, put on his clothes expressionlessly and got out of bed, not intending to fight him.

“Where are you going?”

Zhao Yelan pushed open the window and stood in front of it, looking at the blooming flowers in the yard without saying a word.

Yan Mingting put on his coat, and when he looked at him, he inexplicably felt a bit lonely from the back under the moonlight. The moonlight reflected on his side face, which was pale and brittle, as if it would shatter if he didn’t pay attention. Come porcelain.

“Miss your mother?” Yan Mingting walked to his side.

Zhao Yelan looked at him stiffly.

“You called me mother several times just now.” Yan Mingting explained, seeing that he didn’t speak, said, “I miss my mother too, my mother passed away early, I almost forgot what she looked like, but she was with me The feeling is still clearly stored in the memory.”

Zhao Yelan’s eyes loosened, he turned his head and continued to look out the window.

After a long time, Yan Mingting suddenly asked, “Are you hungry? You’ve been sleeping and you haven’t had dinner yet.”

Zhao Yelan seemed to be in a daze for a while, before he murmured, “I want to eat buns.”

“Okay, then you go back and lie down first, I’ll go out and buy now.” Yan Mingting went to Mingji Bun Shop non-stop, and found that it was closed to thank customers.

He knocked loudly on the door, and the shopkeeper opened it, trying to drive him away.

“Shopkeeper, just help me out and sell me another cage.” Yan Mingting said as he took out a bag of silver.

But the shopkeeper kept waving his hands and refused: “No, no, I’ve packed all my things, it’s too troublesome to start the fire again, you should come early tomorrow.”

“Don’t, my wife is about to give birth, so I just want to have a bite of your steamed stuffed bun. Otherwise, I won’t be able to breathe, and I won’t be able to give birth to a baby. I’m just waiting for your steamed stuffed bun to live on. You should do it well. Help us.”

“…But my buddies have all gone back, and I can’t do it alone.”

“I’ll do it for you, you can see it! I will pay the money!”

Half an hour later, Yan Mingting returned to the Zhao residence with the buns, but there was no one in the room.

“Zhao Yelan…Zhao Yelan!” He shouted anxiously.

“You are called a soul.”

Zhao Yelan’s voice was not loud, thanks to Yan Mingting’s good hearing, he immediately turned around and followed the voice to find the person.

The other party was planting flowers in the backyard of the bedroom. He dug a hole with a small **** in his hand and put a peach tree in it.

“It’s late at night, what are you doing if you don’t lie down properly?” Yan Mingting stepped forward and asked.

“Hurry up and help.” Zhao Yelan said.

Yan Mingting supported the peach tree, Zhao Yelan and Gao Tan worked together to fill in the soil before they clapped their hands to complete the work.

“Where did the peach tree come from?” Yan Mingting couldn’t help asking.

“My lord ordered me to dig in the mountains outside the city just now.” Gao Tan patted his chest triumphantly, “Good at lightness kung fu, you run fast, aren’t you strong?”

Zhao Yelan: “Okay, don’t be poor, hurry up and fetch water to wash your hands.”

After the three of them washed their hands, they sat down in the room. Zhao Yelan sweated a lot after the torment just now. He took out the handkerchief to wipe his face, and suddenly saw two black spots on Yan Mingting’s face. The paint marks didn’t look like the dirt rubbed off when planting a tree. I pinched his chin suspiciously and looked left and right: “Where did you get this?”

“I just lit a fire in front of the stove.” Yan Mingting explained.

Zhao Yelan immediately guessed the reason, Mingji Bun Shop’s business was very good, once the shopkeeper closed, no matter how much money he had, it would be difficult for him to start again. He originally thought that Yan Mingting would be smart enough to find other steamed buns. Anyway, he just wanted to eat steamed stuffed buns at this moment, and any one would do. Be a cook for others.

“Why don’t you just take out your general token, he will still give it to a steamed stuffed bun shop for this little bit of face.” Zhao Yelan said.

“Isn’t that bullying?” Just as Yan Mingting finished speaking, his face was rubbed twice, he couldn’t help laughing, and narrowed his eyes comfortably.

Zhao Yelan angrily wiped off the smudges on his face with a handkerchief, and snorted coldly: “General Yan is upright, so naturally he doesn’t look down on bullies like us.”

“Where are you talking about?” Yan Mingting pushed the steamed stuffed bun in front of him, “Eat it quickly, it’s just out of the oven, it’s hot, it won’t taste good when it’s cold.”

Zhao Yelan picked up a warm steamed stuffed bun, ate it cautiously, and asked, “You helped someone light the fire, and he agreed to make it for you?”

“Ah… yes.” Yan Mingting nodded guiltily, “I said my family needed his buns urgently, so he asked me to help.”

Zhao Yelan cast a half-believing glance at him, and continued to eat the buns quietly.

“Will you return to the General’s Mansion later?” Yan Mingting asked.

Zhao Yelan refused: “Go back by yourself, I will go directly to the Imperial Academy tomorrow.”

“That’s okay, that’s all, I’ll stay here with you one more night.”

Zhao Yelan glanced at him and said nothing.

Not long after eating the buns, Zhao Yelan was about to fall asleep, but was stopped by Yan Mingting, who brought a bowl of medicine to him with a smile: “Come on, drink the medicine first.”

“…”

“drink.”

Zhao Yelan took the bowl and drank it down.

Yan Mingting laughed and said: “You, you will spit out the medicine every time you are unconscious, but you can obediently drink the medicine when you are awake.”

Zhao Yelan ignored him, frowned and lay down, suddenly his mouth tasted sweet, Yan Mingting stuffed a candied fruit into his mouth.

He froze for a moment, and after feeling the sweet and sour taste, he ate slowly and raised his eyes to look at the other person.

Yan Mingting said with a smile: “My little brother didn’t like to drink medicine before, so he insisted on pestering me to feed him some candied pastries. How about it, do you like it?”

“I don’t like it.” Zhao Yelan turned over and prepared to sleep.

“Then you still eat so fast.” Yan Mingting smiled, and made another floor bunk.

When he woke up the next day, Zhao Yelan still overestimated his body. He planted trees last night just to support his sleepiness. Now his head is still a little confused, but he didn’t ask for leave and insisted on going to the Imperial Academy.

Gao Tan sent him to the door, and when he was about to go back, he was stopped by Zhao Yelan, who ordered him in a low voice, “Go and ask the shopkeeper of Mingji.”

“yes.”

Seeing that he was unwell, Ruan Xian came over to help him with the work together. The two sat together, chatting casually, mentioned the situation of the palace examination, and guessed who would be the champion.

Zhao Yelan nodded perfunctorily, and only praised Wang Guisheng intentionally or unintentionally when the other party asked who he liked.

“I also think this person has a good literary talent, but the writing is too sharp, I don’t know if he can catch the eyes of the emperor.”

“It can.” Zhao Yelan said firmly.

Ruan Xian looked at him meaningfully: “Master Zhao, you mean that the emperor likes this kind of thing?”

Zhao Yelan hooked the corners of his mouth and said no more, leaving him to ponder on his own. If you are smart enough, you will know what to do next.

In the afternoon, the Hanlin Academy received an order and immediately drafted an imperial edict. The results of the palace examination have been released, and there are already candidates for Jinshi and rank.

The whole courtyard became bustling. Ruan Xian stood on the sidelines watching the list. The champion was indeed Wang Guisheng. He looked at Zhao Yelan unexpectedly. The other party was sitting alone in a corner and flipping through the history books. Already know it.

Ruan Xian rolled his eyes, thinking about something in his heart.

After being released from the Yamen, Zhao Yelan and the others had almost left before rubbing their temples, and walked out the gate wearily.

Ruan Xian approached him unknowingly, and asked in a low voice: “Master Zhao, I don’t understand something, please enlighten me.”

“What’s up?”

“I’ve read that Wang Guisheng’s article, and I cursed you insinuatingly. You have no grudges against him, and you often praise him. Why?”

“Because he is useful.”

“Understood, thank you for letting me know. Is Mr. Zhao feeling unwell, why don’t you come to my residence? My brother-in-law is just a doctor, why don’t you let him have a try?” Ruan Xian said.

Zhao Yelan was about to speak, but he heard an angry voice outside the door: “Zhao Yelan.”

He looked up and saw Yan Mingting standing outside the gate with his hands folded, with a sedan chair parked beside him.

“Why are you here?” He walked forward slowly.

“Passing by, I’ll pick you up and go home together.” Yan Mingting stretched out his hand to touch his forehead, “It’s still a little hot, hurry up and go back in the sedan chair.”

Zhao Yelan didn’t refuse either. He just needed the sedan chair to continue his life, so he opened the curtain and sat firmly, but found that he didn’t follow in immediately, so he opened the corner of the curtain suspiciously, and saw Yan Mingting asked Ruan Xian in a serious tone: “Who are you?”

“Return to the general, I am the editor of the Seventh Rank Imperial Academy, Ruan Xian.” Ruan Xian said respectfully.

“Do you have a wife?”

“Of course there are. I have been married to my wife for more than a year.”

“Well, it’s getting late, hurry back and accompany your wife.” Yan Mingting looked a little relaxed, turned around and got into the sedan chair.

After a certain distance, Yan Mingting asked: “Who is that little boy? Are you two on good terms?”

Zhao Yelan shook his head.

“Then you two are still talking and laughing?”

“What are you talking and laughing about?”

“You’re smiling at him like this.” Yan Mingting raised two fingers, pushed the corners of his mouth, and complained, “You always smile like this at others, and you’re just putting on a cold face to me.”

Seeing this, Zhao Yelan pursed his lips, suppressed a smile, and said, “Just perfunctory them.”

The corner of Yan Mingting’s mouth twitched: “That is to say, you are perfunctory to others, but you are true to me?”

Zhao Yelan smiled, gave him a gouged look, and closed his eyes to rest again.

Yan Mingting consciously didn’t disturb him, and only after arriving at the general’s mansion did he lightly pat him: “Here we are.”

Zhao Yelan slowly opened his eyes, and got out of the sedan chair slowly behind him. Seeing him stepping into the gate in two or three steps, he thought of something, turned his head and asked the bearer: “How long have you been waiting in the Imperial Academy?”

“A little less than half an hour.” The bearer said.

“Why don’t you come in?” Yan Mingting retreated to the door again, “What? You haven’t recovered yet, and you can’t walk easily?”

Zhao Yelan walked to the door meaningfully and passed by him, the corners of his mouth curled up.

“Wait.” Yan Mingting grabbed his arm in surprise, “Did you just smile at me?”

“Nothing.”

“You still say no, why are you laughing, let me hear.” Yan Mingting put his arms around his shoulders in a good mood and walked inside, “Oh, by the way, let’s go to the study first, the doctor’s matter is getting a bit closer. ”

Zhao Yelan kept trying to break free from his hand, but without success, he caught a glimpse of Gao Tan sweeping the yard from the corner of his eye, and shouted, “Xiao Gao, come here.”

“My lord, you are back!” Gao Tan ran over with a broom.

“What happened to the matter that asked you to check?”

Gao Tan carefully glanced at Yan Mingting, then covered his mouth, and whispered a few words into his ear.

Yan Mingting saw that Zhao Yelan’s eyes became more and more gloomy, and heard the key words of Mingji from Gao Tan’s words, and seemed to have guessed something, immediately raised his hands and surrendered.

“May I ask General Yan, which of your wives is having a difficult labor and needs buns to survive?” Zhao Yelan narrowed his eyes slightly.

Yan Mingting smelled danger, took two steps back stiffly, and smiled innocently: “…Why can’t I understand what you are talking about?”

After finishing speaking, Xiao Sha lifted the hem of his clothes, and then ran away in a desperate manner.

Zhao Yelan snatched the broom from Gao Tan’s hand: “Yan Mingting, stop!”