The third aunt glanced at her, pulled Su Qingqing over, pursed her lips towards Huangfu Zhao, and asked in a low voice: "Did that young man suffer some kind of debt? Did he offend someone he shouldn't offend? He was tortured like this."
Su Qingqing shook her head: "Auntie, I don't know."
The third aunt added: "Look at this young man's fair skin. He doesn't look like us rough guys. He looks like a child from a wealthy family."
The third aunt made a bold guess: "It's not like his family was in trouble and he ran away to hide from debts, right? But when I look at him, he doesn't look like those unscrupulous people in the village, but like a good boy with good luck." No, let’s ask, shall we? It’s better to be on guard and be careful.”
Su Qingqing hesitated and said, "Wouldn't this be good?"
The third aunt was even more determined: "Maybe he is really a debt evader, just like the white-faced ghost in our village, who is just annoying to people. The more I look at him, the more he looks like him."
The third aunt glanced at Huangfu Zhao again with a look that saw everything, and her voice became louder.
She looked at Huangfu Zhao and said, "You can't really be a debt evader, right..."
"Auntie." Seeing this, Su Qingqing winked at her and hurriedly interrupted her.
"Okay, okay, I won't ask anymore." The third aunt had to swallow her words.
Third Aunt is good at everything, but she always likes to ask others a few questions.
Sometimes he unintentionally touches other people's pain points and easily offends others.
But asking it bluntly like this, if there is no ghost in the heart, it will not become angry, which is also a good way.
Su Qingqing glanced at Huangfu Zhao and saw that there was no obvious change in his expression, and breathed a sigh of relief.
Huangfu Zhao glanced at his third aunt and smiled slightly at her: "Aunt, I am from Kyoto. I was asked by my parents to go out on business. It was not appropriate to rush. The horse accidentally fell off a cliff and was injured. I will never give this to a few people." You are a troublemaker. I will thank you greatly when I return to Kyoto next time."
The third aunt laughed and said, "So that's it. Then you have to be careful when you walk next time, otherwise you will make your parents worry."
"No thanks, we can't help. People here don't like this."
"Qingqing, please take this young man to your aunt's house to drink chicken soup. The chicken soup won't taste good when it gets cold." The third aunt's eyes moved to Su Qingqing.
She smiled again: "Your uncle is still waiting for you two at home."
"Okay." Su Qingqing responded.
"Sir, let's go."
"Then I'd rather be respectful than obey my orders."
The third aunt laughed, squinted her eyes, and shallow crow's feet appeared at the corners of her eyes: "It's true, you young man."
As soon as they entered the third aunt's house, a rich and mellow aroma of chicken soup hit their nostrils and passed through their nostrils.
There is a row of fences surrounding the hut. It is old and somewhat rickety due to being in disrepair and weathered by the weather.
Maybe it was because the snow on the ground was too thick and my feet were frozen. A few chickens jumped on the fence and squatted to bask in the warm sun. No one was there, so they squatted quietly above and watched the group of chickens foraging below.
The third uncle took the chicken food and scattered it on the snow. The chickens squatting on the fence all jumped down and scrambled to eat. He muttered to the group of pecking chickens: "Okay, it's in the food plate." If you don’t want to eat them, you have to scatter them in the snow and peck at them, and watch as I spoil you.”
He leaned against the fence, holding on to his slightly sore waist: "Okay, eat quickly and grow up quickly."
Su Qingqing greeted: "Third Uncle."
The third uncle turned his head, squinted his eyes with a kind face, and said with a smile: "Qingqing is here, please sit down quickly, I will bring the chicken soup to the table and wait for you."
He beckoned them to the table.
"okay."
The third aunt warmly greeted them to sit down, scooped out steaming chicken soup and served it to them.
The chicken soup is golden in color, with some shredded ginger floating on it to remove the fishy smell, exuding an alluring aroma.
Su Qingqing noticed that the third uncle frowned slightly when he sat down. It might be that his waist injury had recurred, so she gently moved closer to the third uncle's chair.
"Third uncle, you should be careful about your waist these days. If you have anything, you can come to me."
The third uncle waved his hand and said disapprovingly: "This has been an old problem for many years. It's just that it rains and snows. This old guy can't stand it." He laughed twice, obviously not taking it to heart. .
"Yes, otherwise I will always ask your third uncle to chop down the bamboo that is blocking the way." Third Aunt continued, ladling the soup in the bowl, and looking back at the chickens that were pecking at them from time to time.
"This soup is delicious, my aunt's cooking skills are not much different." The third aunt raised her lips.
Huangfu Zhao responded: "Naturally."
"I was worried that you wouldn't be able to get used to our farm food." The third uncle had already drank a large bowl of chicken soup, and the third aunt hurriedly scooped out another bowl for him.
The third aunt nudged him with her elbow and told him not to slow down. No one would compete with him.
"Be careful, don't burn it."
"No way, the skin is thick and the flesh is thick, so it can't be burned." Sanbo said, but still slowed down his hands.
"The soup made by Third Aunt is naturally delicious. How can I not get used to it?"
"Then drink more, Auntie still has it here, and you will get better quickly. After your third uncle drinks this chicken soup, I am sure he will be able to bend down tomorrow."
Huangfuzhao lowered his head and blew the soup gently, tasting it slowly.
Although this chicken soup is not as delicious as the ingredients cooked by the masters in Kyoto, it has a unique taste. He knew that ordinary people could not often drink chicken soup or eat meat, except during holidays.
It was very thoughtful of them to serve him a stranger with chicken soup.
It's a pity that the silver he carried has been used as a weapon when fighting those monsters.
A glimmer of light flashed in Huangfu Zhao's eyes.
There was a touch of tenderness in Su Qingqing's eyes, and she lowered her head to drink.
It’s been a long time since I drank it and I can’t remember its taste, but it was indeed delicious.
"Has Third Uncle seen a doctor?"
The third aunt sighed slightly: "I have been suffering from age-related problems for many years, and the doctor can't cure it. Our small village is still some distance from the town, and it is quite troublesome for the doctor to come and go." It doesn't cost anything to see a doctor for free. ? Even if Dr. Li doesn't want the poor people's medical fees, he still has to think about returning the favor, which is always a bother.
There is no doctor in this village, and there are only two doctors in the town. The other doctor asked for a high consultation fee, which they could not afford easily. Although Dr. Li did not accept consultation fees, he was old and it was not a problem for him to travel back and forth. The village is far away from the town. It takes a whole day to go back and forth to the town. After a few trips back and forth, I don't feel better and I get tired of it.
"This waist injury still needs to be treated. It's not good to keep delaying it." Although he is a practitioner and can heal himself with immortal power, he cannot help others.
The third aunt said: "Old Doctor Li said that waist injuries are the most difficult to treat. The root cause of the disease has been eliminated. We can only take care of it and nurse it back to health slowly. Maybe it will be cured one day."
"Ah, I forgot, I haven't added water to the chicken yet." As the third aunt said, she stood up, walked to the fence with the empty bowl, and added water to the chicken in the food plate.
Sanbo drank the soup and sighed: "Yes, I have gotten used to it after so many years. As people get older, they have more problems."
The third aunt turned around and raised her hand and waved in the air: "But don't worry, old doctor Li said that your third uncle should pay more attention to your body and rest more, and nothing will happen to you."
Su Qingqing nodded and agreed with the third aunt's words.
Huangfu Zhao smiled back.
The group of chickens next to the fence were grazing in the snow, chirping cheerfully from time to time, as if they were greeting each other.
The sunshine became more and more transparent, and every ray of light falling on the snow was glowing with golden color. The snow reflected the dazzling light, which made people feel warm.
The wind blew gently, the snow stopped, and the green branches quietly emerged.
"Master, thank you." Su Qingqing looked at the piles of bamboos that had been tied into rows in the small yard, with nowhere to place her feet.
When Su Qingqing wanted to clean up the bamboos due to Sanbo's back injury, Huangfu Zhao took the initiative to help and cut down all the bamboos that were blocking the road.
"You're welcome, it's just a good exercise to get better quickly." Huangfu Zhao spread out the chopped bamboos and let them dry in the sun.
Huangfu Zhao spread them out carefully: "It just so happened that the snow stopped, and the bamboos had to be dried in the sun so that the fire could burn vigorously."
"I didn't expect you to be able to do this. I thought you were all aloof."
Huangfu Zhao replied: "I didn't expect that you would be so knowledgeable and well-read in this small and isolated village. It makes me feel ashamed."
Su Qingqing lowered her eyebrows in embarrassment.
Su Qingqing said: "Young Master is overly praised. I have only read a few books, which is nothing."
Huangfu Zhao smiled and did not continue the topic.
"With these dried bamboos, I can weave some bamboo baskets for Third Aunt tomorrow." Su Qingqing knelt down, touched the bamboos with her hands, and said softly.
"Weaving a bamboo basket?" Huangfu Zhao paused and said, "I can do it too."
Su Qingqing was stunned, she didn't expect that Huangfu Zhao could do such detailed work.
"They are already dry, I will start weaving them now." Huangfu Zhao touched the dried bamboos and said, "Bamboo stools, steamers, bamboo plaques... I can try all these bamboo products."
"I have learned from some old people before, but I don't know how I am doing now."
Su Qingqing was shocked again.
Huangfu Zhao didn't say anything and started working with his men. Su Qingqing watched quietly from the side.
Huangfu Zhao was skillful and quickly weaved a bamboo basket. He raised his hand to show Su Qingqing his work.
Su Qingqing looked at the bamboo basket in his hand and was amazed.
The bamboo basket is exquisitely woven with smooth lines. The basket body is dark green and exudes a faint fragrance of bamboo.
She thought he could only barely weave the shape of a bamboo basket, but she didn't expect it to be so beautiful.
"It's so beautiful." Su Qingqing admired sincerely: "I didn't expect the young master to be so skillful with his hands, capable of both literary and military skills and understanding of the work of a bamboo craftsman."
"I can't compare to you."
Huangfu Zhao smiled slightly, lowered his head and continued knitting. His fingers flexibly shuttled between the bamboo strips, and the sunlight shone on his focused profile, coating his sword-shaped eyebrows and starry eyes with a golden glow.
"Look, what is this?" Huangfuzhao raised something in his hand and shook it towards her.
"Fishing drum, bamboo harp." Su Qingqing was surprised.
"It's the Yugu Daoqin."
"You can actually do this?"
Huangfu Zhao laughed at Su Qingqing's surprise: "Of course."
