In the traditions of Great Chu, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, a girl should give a Mid-Autumn sachet to her betrothed, symbolizing a wish for lifelong reunion and completeness.
Qin San Lang heard her footsteps, and his lips curled into a smile. Upon turning to see her and the sachet she handed over, his smile deepened, his eyes sparkled, enveloping him in a gentle and warm glow.
"Xiao Yu," he said, taking a few steps forward, getting quite close to her, and looking down at her, "I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t had ti to co back and see you. Please don’t be mad."
Gu Jinli laughed, looking up at him, "Haven’t you co back to see ? Didn’t you just co back to see on the ninth night?"
Qin San Lang shook his head, "That was too rushed, it doesn’t count. We need to sit down and have a al together, chat properly for it to count."
"We can sit down and have a al together tonight," Gu Jinli felt a touch of sweetness in her heart, and her smile grew larger as she handed the sachet to him again, "Here, it’s for you, at least take a look."
Just looking at would make you blush.
Qin San Lang laughed and took the sachet, holding her hand in the process. He sat on the stone stool under the mountain polo tree, looking at the embroidered sachet, "These are two little tigers, very vividly embroidered. The one with its mouth open and showing sharp teeth about to eat people, is you."
Gu Jinli was taken aback, "How did you guess it right? I thought you would guess the obedient little tiger hiding behind was ."
She added angrily, "Do you think I am fierce, like a tigress?!"
Qin San Lang laughed, explaining, "No, Xiao Yu is a reasonable and gentle-tempered great girl. I can guess accurately because I know Xiao Yu’s temperant."
He continued, "Since we t, you’ve protected more, just like the little tiger on the sachet protecting the tiger behind it."
She is soone very protective, always doing her best to shield him, making a lot of things for him, and helping him a great deal.
Gu Jinli was satisfied and said, "I am so fierce, yet you still call gentle, you are quite flattering."
Though it was a complaint, her face was beaming with a joyful smile.
Qin San Lang said, "Xiao Yu is not fierce at all, just a gentle and sensible girl."
No one could compare to her.
Gu Jinli blushed, patting her cheeks, "Since you say so, I will believe you."
If Brother Cheng were here, he would certainly say resentfully: "Second Sister, you sure have thick skin!"
Qin San Lang chuckled and moved closer to her, saying, "Hmm, our Xiao Yu is just like that."
He had seen enough of the won in the Capital with their roundabout speech and heavy minds; he liked Xiao Yu’s personality... Well, even if Xiao Yu spoke indirectly or had heavy thoughts, he’d have no problem with it, as long as it’s her, he would like it.
"Are you hungry? I brought so moon cakes for you." Gu Jinli took a bag from her waist and took out two snowy mooncakes, "Have so first to fill your stomach, soon we can have a al. I’ve grilled a lot of fish for you, so you can eat to your heart’s content."
Qin San Lang wasn’t fond of sweet foods, but as long as it was from Gu Jinli, he accepted and enjoyed it. He then said, "Wait a mont, Xiao Yu."
He said while getting up, went to his room and brought out a cloth bag and a jug of water, saying, "I brought back so fruits for you to try. If you like them, I’ll ask Dou Ke to bring back a batch."
Dou Ke’s business spread throughout the major rivers, so Qin San Lang had him look for nonperishable and tasty fruits to bring back for Gu Jinli.
There was nothing he could do; his Xiao Yu just loved fruits.
Gu Jinli looked at the bag with the bright red fruits, exclaiming in surprise, "Apples!"
Qin San Lang was taken aback, "Xiao Yu, you recognize this? Though it’s not called apple, it’s called the big red fruit, kind of like our Great Chu’s red fruit, just several tis larger."
"This fruit is from Da Rong, and it won’t spoil even after a few months."
Most importantly, the big red fruit is warm, good for won’s bodies, not like pears that are cold and unsuitable for won.
Gu Jinli said, "In the book, it’s called an apple, but since it has its original na, let’s call it the big red fruit."
Qin San Lang, seeing she liked it, took an apple, washed it with water from the jug, and handed it to her, "Xiao Yu, have a taste."
Gu Jinli: "It needs to be peeled."
"Ah? Needs peeling? Alright." Qin San Lang took out a small knife from his waist, peeled an apple for Gu Jinli, "Xiao Yu, the knife is clean, never seen red before."
He wouldn’t use a knife that had cut people to prepare food for Xiao Yu.
Gu Jinli took the apple, bit into it, and the long-lost sweet and crisp aroma filled her mouth, making her eyes squint in delight, "Delicious, sweet and crunchy."
She took another apple and handed it to Qin San Lang, "You have so too."
Qin San Lang looked at the apple, then at her lips, which were redder than the apple, and said, "No need, these fruits are brought for Xiao Yu, tasting it this way is enough."
With that, he leaned down and briefly kissed her lips, stepping back with a smile, "Hmm, very sweet."
Gu Jinli froze, taking a mont to co to her senses... The rascal sneaked a kiss again!
Her face turned redder as she angrily swung a fist at him. He did not dodge, instead caught her fist, but his back hit the mountain polo tree behind him.
With a loud thud, quite a significant force.
Imdiately, a shadow quickly fell from above, and Qin San Lang grabbed Gu Jinli, protecting her with his body from the falling object... Actually, he could have caught it, but he preferred to hold her this way.
There was a thud as the object hit the stone table, rolled down to the ground, and landed at Qin San Lang’s feet.
"It’s a polo," Gu Jinli bent down to pick it up, disdainfully saying, "This mountain polo is too small, the stem is rotten, must be inedible."
Qin San Lang, however, said, "Let open it and see, maybe it can be eaten. It’s the first fruit from this mountain polo tree, the first must be tasted."
This mountain polo tree was planted by him for himself and Xiao Yu, symbolizing their union and continued generations, so the first fruit must be eaten.
Gu Jinli: "Then you open it."
Qin San Lang used a knife to open the polo, "Not bad, the flesh isn’t damaged."
Skillfully, he peeled the polo, taking the segnts, grabbing one to eat, a slight frown on his sword-like eyebrows, "Taste isn’t bad."
"Not bad?" Gu Jinli said, "You’re frowning so much your eyebrows are knotted, how can the taste be ’not bad’?"
She took a segnt of polo, bit into it, and the sourness almost made her spit it out. She quickly swallowed and took a large bite of apple, then said, "So sour and astringent, it’s awful! Don’t eat it."
Qin San Lang looked at her with a mix of reluctance and determination in his eyes, "This is the first fruit of this tree; it must be eaten."
Gu Jinli was stunned, rembering his intent in planting the mountain polo tree; she said, "Wait, I’ll be right back, then we’ll eat the polo."
With that, she ran ho, fetched a jar of crushed caral sugar, and brought a big bowl. After breaking the polo and adding sugar, she mixed it in the bowl, handed Qin San Lang a spoon, saying: "Eat, should be sweet now."
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