87, Hungry (1 more)
Xie Zhinuan thought to herself that when the time comes, she could get a bamboo strip to put on her pillow, so even in summer she’d stay cool while sleeping.
Sha Ni looked at Xie Zhinuan with a smile.
“What are you laughing at?” Xie Zhinuan asked.
“Miss, you really know how to enjoy life!”
“…”
Xie Zhinuan paused.
Know how to enjoy life?
Then she laughed, “Life is but a brief few decades; being happy is a lifetime, being unhappy is also a lifetime. What good is scrimping and saving? If your descendants are unfilial and your old age is lonely, it’s still better to enjoy the present thoroughly, setting aside enough savings to live well, with zest and flavor in life. If one can look back in old age without any regrets, that’s the best one can hope for!”
But life, long as it may seem, is also not long, and who could live without regrets? It’s just that one day in the future, when you suddenly look back, to remain true to your original aspiration is the greatest form of living without regret.
Xie Zhinuan couldn’t help but smile.
There’s still a long life ahead, why think about this now?
After airing out the straw mat, Xie Zhinuan started thinking about what to have for dinner. There were enough buns for the evening, but the only trouble was the noble gentleman across the door.
However, he had eaten too well at noon, so for dinner, it was just a pot of plain congee with some cold cucumber salad, a dish of pickles, and a few buns.
Li Hengyi was momentarily surprised when he saw the dinner.
Since he could eat anything, this was the first time it was so simple.
“Master…” Yuanbao called softly, contemplating whether to go across the door and ask Xie Zhinuan to cook something else.
“Hmm!” Li Hengyi responded indifferently, eating the congee in small bites.
Yuanbao stood by in silence.
Even his master had times of compromise.
Sometimes simplicity had its own charm, like now, after Li Hengyi had the congee, he felt his somewhat bloated stomach much relieved. He didn’t eat any of the buns.
All were left to Yuanbao.
Yuanbao ate them with big bites. They were mere buns, yet somehow, they tasted like the most exquisite delicacies to him.
Li Hengyi glanced then stood up and left the room.
He paced back and forth in the courtyard, inhaling the cold, refreshing scent of Leng Zhuxiang.
When would he be able to see the true face of Miss Xie?
With his esteemed identity, he shouldn’t be too proactive. Being too forthright would put him at a disadvantage, so he must wait a bit longer.
Xie Zhinuan, of course, had no idea about Li Hengyi’s thoughts. After dinner, she took a bath and cooled off in the courtyard, thinking about what she needed to buy in town tomorrow.
She also needed to buy some jars for pickling, to make pickled chilies, and later, when ginger was available, to pickle some ginger, which would taste incredibly good when stir-fried.
As for long beans, she would definitely pickle more of those.
Xie Zhinuan had some idea of what she wanted to buy tomorrow.
After her hair dried, she went to bed early.
Li Hengyi tossed and turned, unable to sleep, and felt hungry.
The man concerned with his face hesitated but couldn’t help it in the end and called out, “Yuanbao!”
“Master?” Yuanbao groggily replied.
“I’m hungry. Ask Miss Xie to boil some noodles for me!”
“…”
Yuanbao was surprised but got up immediately.
His master seldom complained of hunger, so he headed out toward Xie Zhinuan’s place.
Upon reaching Xie Zhinuan’s door, he didn’t hesitate and knocked, “Dong dong dong!”
Sha Ni was the first to wake up.
Routuan also barked.
Xie Zhinuan, still groggy, opened her eyes and shouted, “Routuan, quiet down!”
She put on her clothes.
She heard Aunt Chen asking, “Who’s there?”
“It’s me, Yuanbao!”
Yuanbao?
Xie Zhinuan raised an eyebrow. Why was he not sleeping and coming over at this late hour?
Xie Zhinuan wrapped herself in her clothes and came out. Aunt Chen and Yuanbao had already started talking at the door.
“Miss Xie!” Yuanbao called out happily upon seeing Xie Zhinuan, “Miss Xie, my master is hungry. Could you trouble you to boil a bowl of noodles?”
Chapter 89