In the early morning, Yi Yangen awoke to bursts of laughter.
Several other voices were automatically ignored; only one reached his ears.
He had seen her laugh in various ways: sly, triumphant, happy, mischievous, cold…
But it had been a long time since he had heard her laugh so lightly and cheerfully.
Infected by her laughter, Yi Yangen couldn't help but smile silently.
He got up, walked to the window, and gently pushed it open. The moment he looked out, he saw Xie Jiang in the courtyard.
She was watching Aunt He style Big Hammer’s newly combed hair.
The black tower of a man, as solid as a bronze wall and iron rampart, had two buns on his head, with red ribbons hanging from them.
Caught off guard, Yi Yangen almost went blind.
It was obvious at a glance that it was her idea.
She was laughing so hard she couldn't stand up straight, holding the young maidservant’s waist, giving Big Hammer a thumbs-up, and praising him insincerely.
“Big Hammer looks so good with this hairstyle, cuter than Yan'er and Yueyue. Nie Tong and the others are so envious…”
Nie Tong, who was leaning on the dirt wall with one arm, eating melon seeds, took off running at the mention of his name.
He wasn’t envious at all.
Yan'er, with her lips pursed, her small face flushed red from laughter.
Yi Yangen’s gaze moved from Xie Jiang’s profile, slowly sliding down to her hands.
She seemed quite adept at holding the young maidservant’s waist…
Big Hammer stopped Shan Bai, who was about to go to the side room. He lowered his head to look at his reflection in the water basin held by Shan Bai. Two large dimples appeared on his dark face.
“Doesn’t it look good?” Xie Jiang asked.
“If Jiang Jiang says it looks good, then it looks good.” Big Hammer reached out to touch the red hair ties hanging on either side of his face, chuckling with satisfaction.
Shan Bai could barely control his expression as he quickly carried the basin of water towards the side room where his master lived.
Xie Jiang, as if sensing something, looked towards the west side room and met Yi Yangen’s deep gaze.
He was dressed only in a snow-white inner garment, his long hair falling behind him. He leaned against the window in a relaxed posture, a gentle smile on his face, quietly gazing at her.
“Good morning, Yi Yangen.”
Xie Jiang’s smile instantly became even more radiant as she waved at him.
Yi Yangen nodded at her and closed the window.
Just then, Shan Bai brought in the water. After washing up and changing into clean, neat clothes, Yi Yangen emerged from the room.
Xie Jiang was the only one left in the courtyard.
“Have you eaten breakfast?”
“Not yet. Big Hammer and Aunt He went to the neighbor’s to get it.”
Hearing her mention Big Hammer, Yi Yangen raised his hand and rubbed his eyes, saying with a wry smile, “You mischievous thing…”
Tang Zhen’s eyes were full of laughter. “Big Hammer looks quite cute after washing his face and shaving his beard.”
“You two seem to get along well.”
When Yi Yangen arrived the night before, he saw Big Hammer guarding by the wall. Looking over now, he saw that the dirt wall was noticeably shorter, with a pile of crushed sand and soil at its base.
Xie Jiang said, “Big Hammer is my brother.”
Aunt He, along with Yueyue and Yan'er, brought breakfast to the table in the courtyard.
Big Hammer was nowhere to be seen.
As Aunt He set out the meal, she said, “He’s gone to show off his new hairstyle. If he finds out he was tricked, Big Hammer will be angry with you, young master.”
Xie Jiang bared her teeth, a cold glint flashing. “Anyone who dares to speak carelessly and upset Big Hammer, I’ll give them the same new hairstyle. That way, Big Hammer will forget his anger?”
Aunt He: “…”
Yi Yangen couldn’t help but chuckle. This girl had no martial ethics, bullying even her own subordinates.
Aunt He whispered, “You’re doing this in front of Young Master Yi.” How could she be so shameless.
Xie Jiang was shamelessly open about it. If she didn’t bully her own subordinates, would she let others?
Yi Yangen nodded, admitting it made a lot of sense.
Aunt He served a small bowl of wolfberry fish ball soup and placed it in front of Xie Jiang. Xie Jiang habitually ate something soupy first in the morning.
The fish balls were white and melted in the mouth, the soup was clear and fresh, and the wolfberry was tender. Xie Jiang nodded with satisfaction.
Yi Yangen, having slept from yesterday afternoon until now, was already famished. After Xie Jiang finished and put down her chopsticks, Yi Yangen cleared the remaining food.
“Would you like some more?”
Aunt He looked at Yi Yangen with an exceptionally kind gaze. Just as Aunt He worried about Xie Jiang eating too little and not gaining weight, she felt comforted seeing Yi Yangen eat so much.
“No, thank you. I’m full.”
Yi Yangen was confused by Aunt He’s gaze.
He suspiciously touched his face, finding no food particles on it.
Xie Jiang, with ill intentions, provoked him, “Aunt He dislikes that you eat so much.”
How could Aunt He let her slander her? “It’s not that I dislike Young Master Yi eating so much. I wish Young Master Yi could eat more. It’s you I dislike for eating too little!”
Yi Yangen firmly sided with Aunt He. “Even a cat eats more than she does.”
Aunt He sighed, “Young master spent many days as a wild man in the deep mountains and forests, and then suffered injuries and illnesses. The little flesh he had is now even harder to find.”
Yi Yangen scanned Xie Jiang twice.
She was as thin as a monkey.
Xie Jiang snorted, “Now, Aunt He feels comforted even if she sees a dog eating a lot.”
Yi Yangen’s dark eyes fixed on her. Don’t think he didn’t understand her implication.
Lou Yi’an and Wen Feng each brought a bowl of medicine.
Lou Yi’an turned to Yi Yangen and said, “You should take this herbal decoction for a few days to condition yourself, and then take pills for daily maintenance.”
Xie Jiang was puzzled. “What’s the use of just taking medicine? You should treat him.”
Given Yi Yangen’s current physical condition, how effective would just taking medicine be?
Lou Yi’an said, “If treatment is to begin, it will take anywhere from two to five months, or one to two months at the shortest. Will Young Master Yi not need to return to the capital?”
Yi Yangen could not stay in this small mountain village, nor could he go to Ninghe to live with her later.
Xie Jiang said, “Then you can return to the capital with Yi Yangen. What else do you need to do recently?”
Yi Yangen, however, understood Lou Yi’an’s meaning and agreed with the arrangement. “My injury isn’t from one or two days. It’s good to take medicine and recuperate slowly. You must recover first, and then let Doctor Lou take time to come to the capital to treat me.”
Xie Jiang then understood that Lou Yi’an intended to treat her first. “My injury doesn’t require Yi An to constantly monitor it.”
A flesh wound just needs some medicine and time to heal. Internal injuries, anyway, cannot be cured in a short period.
Yi Yangen, however, would not allow her to take her condition lightly. “Are you not listening again? It’s decided. You don’t need to say anything more.”
Xie Jiang: “Fine.”
Lou Yi’an handed her the bowl of medicine.
This time, Xie Jiang didn’t find the medicine disgusting. She picked up the bowl, clinked it with Yi Yangen’s, and then drank it down cheerfully with a smile.
Lou Yi’an originally hadn’t intended to continue to frown at her, but seeing her lovesick demeanor, he could only clasp his hands behind his back and look at the sky.
Xie Jiang licked her lips after drinking, saying happily, “It feels like even the medicine tastes sweet.”
Yi Yangen pursed his lips and hummed in agreement.
Xie Jiang looked up at his very pale lips, suddenly wondering if the medicine he had just drunk was also very sweet.
The atmosphere in the small courtyard suddenly became ambiguous.
Lou Yi’an took the empty bowl and turned to leave.
The other idle individuals silently retreated to the wall to count ants.