Chapter 546: Red Bean Soup (2)
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
In the Changming Hall of the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple, Yu Niaoniao knelt on the futon and kowtowed to Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan.
Then, she stood up and offered three incense sticks to the two of them. At the same time, she placed a sum of money into the merit box beside her.
After doing this, she stood quietly on the spot and looked at Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan’s memorial tablets in a daze.
Actually, after leaving the Justice Department, she should have returned to the Langjun Imperial Palace.
But how should she face Xiao Juan next?
Should she apologize to him? Or should she pretend that nothing had happened?
If she apologized, it meant that everything she had done before was wrong.
But if she pretended that nothing had happened, she felt guilty.
She really didn’t know what to do and could only come here.
Yu Niaoniao muttered softly.
“Dad, Mom, what should I do?”
Outside Changming Hall, Ling Hai placed his hands in his sleeves and paced back and forth, trying his best to move his body to avoid being frozen.
The winter was already cold. Coupled with the fact that the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple was built halfway up the mountain, the temperature was even lower.
Ling Hai turned to look into the hall and saw that the Princess Consort was still in a daze at the memorial tablet.
Other than many longevity lamps and longevity tablets, Changming Hall only had a small brazier. It was almost impossible to rely on that small fire to warm up.
He wondered if the Princess Consort would be frozen.
Ling Hai rubbed his hands hard, wondering if he should ask the monks in the temple for a bowl of hot soup so that the Princess Consort could warm up. At this moment, an old woman wrapped in a rough cloth headscarf walked over with two baskets.
She stopped in front of Ling Hai and asked in a hoarse voice.
“Gentleman, do you want a bowl of red bean soup? I made this myself. It’s still hot. It only costs one copper coin a bowl.”
Ling Hai hurriedly said, “I want a bowl.”
He took a copper coin from his pouch and handed it over.
The old woman reached out with her calloused rough palm and took the copper coin. Then, she removed the rough cloth covering the basket and revealed the clay urn inside.
She untied the clay urn and scooped out a bowl of red bean soup.
“Here you go.”
Ling Hai took the red bean soup with both hands. He could still feel the temperature through the thick porcelain bowl. This red bean soup must have just been boiled.
He immediately walked into Changming Hall with the red bean soup and brought it to the County Princess.
“Have some soup to warm yourself up.”
Yu Niaoniao was surprised. ‘Where did the red bean soup come from?”
Ling Hai pointed at the old woman standing outside the door. “I bought it from her. ”
The old woman noticed their gaze and bowed slightly to them as a greeting.
Yu Niaoniao took a sip of the red bean soup. The red bean was boiled until it was delicate and smooth. There was also some osmanthus honey and lilies in it. The sweetness was just right.
After drinking a bowl of soup, her body was much warmer, and her depressed mood improved.
Yu Niaoniao walked out of Changming Hall and personally returned the empty bowl to the old woman.
“Granny, thank you for the soup. It tastes very good.”
The old woman took the thick porcelain bowl with both hands and asked,
“Young lady, do you want another bowl?”
Yu Niaoniao could tell from her accent. “Are you from Bashu?”
The old woman said, “I’m not from Bashu, but I’ve lived in Bashu for many years. I’m considered half a Bashu citizen.” Yu Niaoniao asked. “Then why did you come to the Imperial Capital?”
The old woman sighed.
“Everyone in my family is dead. As an old woman, I have nowhere to go and can only drift around.”
“Recently, I happened to come to the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple. The abbot of the temple was kind. Seeing that I was pitiful, he allowed me to borrow the kitchen in the temple to cook some soup for money.”
Yu Niaoniao felt sympathy. She opened her pouch and took out the largest piece of silver.
“This money is for you. I’ll buy all your red bean soup.”
It was already very difficult for a young man to carry a basket and sell soup on such a cold day, not to mention that the other party was a thin old woman with white hair and a hunched figure.
Yu Niaoniao’s ability was limited, so she could only help her buy all the red bean soup so that she could close the stall early today and rest.
The old woman hurriedly refused.
“How can that do? Even if I sell all my red bean soup to you, it will only be 50 copper coins at most. You gave too much money. I can’t accept it.”
Yu Niaoniao said, “Then treat it as my advance payment. If I want to drink red bean soup again in the future, I’ll buy it from you. You can just deduct it from this money.”
With that, she stuffed the silver into the old woman’s hand.
The old woman held the silver in her hand and looked at Yu Niaoniao with grayish-white eyes. Her gaze was indescribably complicated.
Yu Niaoniao said to Ling Hai.
“Let’s go.”
The old woman hurriedly stopped her. “What about this red bean soup?”
Yu Niaoniao smiled at her. “Keep it for yourself to drink slowly. If you can’t finish it, give it to the monks in the temple.”
With that, she left with Ling Hai.
The old woman stood on the spot and watched them leave. After a long time, she muttered.
“She’s a good child. What a pity…”
Just as Yu Niaoniao and Ling Hai reached the entrance of the temple, they saw Xiao Juan striding over.
Both sides bumped into each other and were stunned.
Xiao Juan was the first to speak. “Why did you come here without saying
gooc1Dyef”
Yu Niaoniao said, “I wanted to offer incense to Father and Mother. Why are you here?”
“I couldn’t find you anywhere and was very worried, so I came here to try my luck. I didn’t expect you to really be here.”
Yu Niaoniao lowered her head. “I’m sorry.”
Xiao Juan said, “You didn’t do anything wrong when you came to offer incense to Dad and Mom. You don’t have to apologize. However, if you want to leave the city in the future, remember to inform your family in advance so that everyone won’t worry about you.”
However, Yu Niaoniao said, “I’m apologizing to you for what happened previously. I was the one who asked the troupe to rehearse Duke Lang in Liaodong, but I caused you to be punished. I’m sorry.”
Xiao Juan looked at her steadily and suddenly asked.
“If you were given another chance, would you still get someone to rehearse the show?”
Yu Niaoniao said without hesitation, “Yes!”
Although she felt guilty, she had never regretted it.
It was a fact that Shen Zhuo had taken credit for his achievements, and it was also a fact that Xiao Juan had been misunderstood. She was just telling the truth to everyone.
Even if she had to do it again, she would still insist on her choice.
Xiao Juan seemed to have expected this answer and said calmly, “In that case, why do you need to apologize?”
Yu Niaoniao pursed her lips. “But I caused you to be punished..
Xiao Juan bent down slightly and approached her face. He looked into her eyes and said word by word seriously, “Niaoniao, you’ve never harmed me. On the contrary, you like me better than everyone else. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have done so much behind my back.”
“The reason why the emperor punished me was to better control me. The fault is his, not yours. You don’t have to apologize, let alone feel guilty.”
Yu Niaoniao hurriedly covered his mouth. “You’re crazy. How dare you say such things. If anyone hears you, you’re dead!”
After saying that, she looked at the visitors who walked past her, afraid that someone would hear what Xiao Juan had just said.
It was a capital crime to slander the emperor! Xiao Juan grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away.
“Don’t worry, no one heard it..”
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