Cui Ling, upon hearing that the two of them were going to take a boat to pick water chestnuts, couldn’t help but light up with excitement, her eyes sparkling as she joyfully exclaimed, "young master, young master, how about I prepare the fishing rod? There are so many big shrimps in the lake, I can catch one with each try!"
"Great! We’ll cook them for dinner tonight," Shi Fengju replied with a smile.
Overjoyed, Cui Ling eagerly agreed and turned around to prepare gleefully.
Soon, they arrived at the shore of Ling Lake. Sang Wan looked into the distance; the lake was about 50 acres wide, with the water surface shimmering in silvery light, occasionally disturbed by white water birds that skimmed and called out as they flew low over the surface. Near the shore, scattered withered lotus stems hinted at the magnificence of lotus blossoms in their summer glory.
Shi Fengju laughed and said, "This place wasn’t originally a lake; it was just a low-lying land that would fill with water after a heavy summer rain, sometimes not draining for days. I simply had it dug out into a lake, diverted water from the mountain upfront, and created an outlet at the northeast corner. Now, it has turned into this beautiful sight with crabs, lotus, and water chestnuts!"
"That’s indeed clever thinking on your part, young master!" Sang Wan said with a smile. She thought to herself, what’s more important is that you’re rich! Rich and wanton, changing things however you wish!
Shi Fengju laughed heartily, quite intoxicated by the thought, "Actually, I quite like it this way too!"
"Young master, madam, come on over!" Cui Ling had already dashed forward and was now on the boat, waving her oar at Shi Fengju and Sang Wan.
"Be careful, Cui girl!" Shi Fengju called out with a loud laugh as he walked over with Sang Wan.
"It’s alright, I’m not afraid! If I fall into the water, consider it a bath!" Cui Ling giggled.
As Shi Fengju and Cui Ling helped Sang Wan onto the boat and sat down, Cui Ling said with a smile, "Madam, hold on tight, we are going to pick water chestnuts now!"
"Do you know how to do it, be careful!" Sang Wan, seeing the young girl rocking unsteadily at the bow, couldn’t help but feel her heart thumping with anxiety.
"Don’t worry, madam, I’m fine!" Cui Ling swayed and beamed magnificently.
Sitting beside Sang Wan, Shi Fengju also smiled, "This girl is used to the wild; you can relax, no need to worry about her! How about you? Are you comfortable on the boat? Feeling dizzy?"
Sang Wan indeed felt a bit scared, never having been on a boat before. Upon drifting away from the familiar shore, her heart raced at the sight of the endless expanse of water around her. Her body stiffened slightly, and she clutched the side of the boat tightly, managing a light nod with a smile, "It’s fine, the water is calm, it’s alright!"
Shi Fengju told Cui Ling to row slower and smiled at Sang Wan, "Don’t be scared, I’m here with you!"
Sang Wan involuntarily looked up, meeting his deep, dark eyes. A gentle breeze wafted over the lake, carrying a unique fresh watery scent mixed with a faint plant aroma, making Sang Wan momentarily feel slightly heady and intoxicated.
She slightly lowered her gaze, avoiding his look, but couldn’t control her somewhat racing heartbeat.
Shi Fengju’s lips parted slightly; he had words at the tip of his tongue numerous times but always just barely lacked the courage to speak them. Caring too much made him fearful. Fearful of not receiving the response he hoped for.
After all, when she first arrived, he made no effort to hide his disdain and aversion towards her. Why should he expect her to respond to him now?
"Madam, look, there are so many water chestnuts here!" The small wooden boat stopped, and Cui Ling, setting aside her oar, bent over the edge of the boat, laughing joyfully as she picked the water chestnuts floating on the surface. Each one pointed at both ends like bull horns, dark brown in color, just a bit larger than a thumb, and quite quaint and neat.
"Madam, for you!" Cui Ling handpicked seven or eight and tossed them into a basket for Sang Wan, her bright sparkling eyes smiling, "Madam, try these! They’re just the right age, definitely crisp and sweet. The older ones can only be stir-fried! There’s plenty more over there! I’ll pick a lot so you can take some back to the lady at the mansion to try!"
"Yes, thank you!" Sang Wan smiled and picked one from the basket to peel.
"You’re quite thoughtful, girl!" Shi Fengju couldn’t help but laugh.
Cui Ling giggled and then turned back to row.
A faint watermark spread on her fingers, her nose catching the unique fresh scent of water chestnuts, but their shells were somewhat hard, making them difficult to peel. The boat swayed slightly, and as Sang Wan was caught off-guard, the sharp point of a water chestnut suddenly pricked her finger. A sharp pain elicited a fine bead of blood, making Sang Wan involuntarily let out a soft cry of "ah."