Chapter 1821 – Oil Lychee
Looking at my granddaughter being taken away by the servant, still trembling in fear, I couldn’t help but say, “She’s a poor child.”
Lü Zheng replied, “Sweet comes after bitter; from extremes to moderation.”
I was momentarily taken aback, then chuckled, “You’re actually on the same wavelength as me! Do you know what nickname I gave her?”
Lü Zheng didn’t know, so I said, “Oil Lychee.”
“Oil Lychee?”
I nodded, “Yes, Oil Lychee. Consuming it regularly lightens the body and prolongs life; its taste is first bitter, then sweet—a perfect fit for her.”
Oil Lychee blossoms in spring, bears fruit in summer, and by autumn, it’s filled with fruits all over the branches.
This fruit can withstand drought and poor soil, thriving in the southern mountains; when you eat it, it’s slightly bitter, then sweet.
Lü Zheng grasped my meaning and, after a moment of silence, asked, “What about her real name?”
“I haven’t decided that yet. In Beiyuan, a child of this background doesn’t really need a grand name—just a name to call her would suffice.” I remained smiling, but my grin never reached my eyes. My gaze was murky and lifeless, the smile merely a habit I had formed to survive. Seeing Lü Zheng’s heavy mood, I thought for a moment and added, “I’ll come up with something later…”
Oil Lychee was just a nickname, but that child shouldn’t have to bear such a name for the rest of her life.
Lü Zheng said, “Hmm, let’s give her a proper name. If you don’t, when I eventually adopt her, I’ll be the one to name her.”
I smiled lightly without saying more.
Lü Zheng was a top student at Langya Academy; having him name the child would surely be a blessing.
The two of us fell silent for a long while, and just when Lü Zheng began to suspect that I had fallen asleep, I unexpectedly spoke up about the past.
“Recently, I’ve been dreaming about my youth… Aside from you and Liu Lanting, how are Bu Qu and Ben Zhi doing?”
These names hadn’t crossed my lips in years; now, reminiscing after so long made them feel achingly familiar.
Bu Qu referred to Fang Zhi, and Ben Zhi referred to Jiang Mo.
“Bu Qu was in Nansheng before, but he couldn’t stay there any longer, so he went north to Wanzhou to seek Teacher Yuan Jing and took a teaching job at Golden Scales Academy. His life is quite leisurely now,” Lü Zheng recounted our old friend’s situation, sighing, “As for Ben Zhi… You may not know, our lord supports the humble families, which has caused some friction with the noble clans. However, these disputes haven’t yet surfaced. Ben Zhi came from a noble family; in the past, he could act on impulse, but parents eventually grow old. The family burden ultimately fell onto him… In the end, he drifted away…”
On one side was a friend from my youth; on the other was a stubborn family tradition. Jiang Mo couldn’t afford to take that risk.
Over the years, Jiang Mo transformed from a lovesick, eccentric youth obsessed with characters in two-dimensional worlds into a calculating leader of a clan.
I recalled a few months prior when we celebrated Jiang Mo’s first grandson’s full moon. I made a special trip to congratulate him.
Jiang Mo was so happy he drank too much; while tipsy, he clung to me, sobbing quietly as he poured out his troubles.
He wanted time to freeze when he was just a teenager, thus escaping the dual pressures of family and the outside world and avoiding doing anything he didn’t like—hating becoming what he once despised most. I didn’t know how to comfort him, and the next day, after waking from his drunken stupor, it was as if he forgot what he had said.
“Shaoyin, do you think if I touched Liu Lanting’s bottom line, would she kill me?”
Lü Zheng thought seriously for a moment before answering, “If there’s a shred of old affection left, she would take matters into her own hands without needing anyone else to step in.”
Jiang Mo’s reaction was a mix of laughter and tears; after a long while, he waved his hand, tired. “You make a valid point; I only hope that day never comes.”
Lü Zheng pulled back his thoughts, still feeling heavy-hearted.
At that moment, I heard him say, “That means among the five of us, only Liu Lanting hasn’t changed.”
Lü Zheng replied, “A person with a firm heart is not easily swayed by external factors.”
Without that temperament, she might not have reached her current standing.
Whether it was thoughts of the day or dreams of the night, that night I fell into a long, deep slumber.
It was my most peaceful sleep in years.
I dreamed of the beautiful mountains and rivers of Langya County, with a slightly chubby Jiang Mo sitting by the creek, fishing under the blazing sun, looking lethargic. Beside him, Fang Zhi yawned from boredom. Lü Zheng and I were over there discussing how to make our campfire burn brighter.
At this moment, Jiang Mo complained, “Why hasn’t Liu Lanting arrived yet? The fish we catch are all starving…”
I laughed, “The younger generation loves to sleep in; weren’t you the same at that age?”
Jiang Mo’s cheeks flushed with anger, “I couldn’t possibly sleep in until the sun was high!”
Just then, the sound of hoofbeats approached from across the river, and a red-and-white figure burst through the trees on the opposite bank.
Liu Xi, dressed in a red robe, rode a tall white horse that leaped gracefully over the narrow creek, landing steadily not far from us. Jiang Mo was startled by the commotion, and the fish he had caught swam away, causing him to angrily swing his fishing rod into the water.
“Liu Lanting!”
“Whoa!”
Liu Xi expertly reined in the horse and jumped down, effortlessly pulling a few rabbits from the horse’s back.
“Don’t think that catching a few little critters can compensate for my fish!”
Liu Xi crossed her arms defiantly, saying, “That guy’s pets from the backyard? I simply borrowed them.”
That certain ‘X’ was the one who humiliated Jiang Mo a few days ago, calling him a second-generation rich kid who was enamored with fantasies and oblivious to the real beauty around him.
Liu Xi didn’t hesitate to snatch the rabbits that had been raised for a long time; if that guy found out, wouldn’t he be furious?
Jiang Mo chuckled at her remark, but the rest of us frowned slightly.
No matter the grudges, we shouldn’t resort to thievery. Acting so recklessly could lead to serious trouble later on.
After Lü Zheng, Fang Zhi, and I took turns lecturing her, Liu Xi finally cried uncle, admitting that the rabbits were hers.
“Since you caught them, why did you say you stole them?”
Liu Xi grinned mischievously, “Isn’t that just to make you laugh?”
Jiang Mo was furious and shouted, “Liu Xi!”
What followed was a chaotic barbecue; none of us were good at grilling, but whatever we cooked, we had to swallow it down despite how terrible it tasted.
Later, when Jiang Mo took advantage of Liu Xi’s moment of distraction to push her into the water, he ended up soaked himself.
“You cursed me!”
Liu Xi laughed, “Not just now, but I’ll keep haunting you until you can’t recover!”
Jiang Mo retorted fiercely, “When you enter the court in the future, you better remember this!”
“I’ll remember, even in death.”
All I could do was play peacemaker, urging them to stop their bickering.
……
“Grandpa~ Grandpa~”
My granddaughter’s call roused me from my deep sleep, and it took me a moment to focus on the beam above.
“What time is it…”
I hadn’t slept so thoroughly in ages, and waking up now made me feel disoriented.
My granddaughter said, “It’s time for lunch.”
“Wow, I slept until noon!”
Meanwhile, Jiang Pengji had been up all night, contemplating how to swiftly bring down Beiyuan.
