106: warm winter

It was winter.

Even with the snow, there were still many vendors on the streets.

The shop assistants swept the snow from their doorways, and the hawkers cleared theirs, and with that, the snow was dealt with.

Wen Ruotang led Jiang Ning directly to a restaurant.

Shen Jinhuan asked, puzzled, "Aren't we going to make dumplings ourselves?"

"Mm."

Wen Ruotang said with a smile, "I'm familiar with the shopkeeper here, so I'll go buy some ingredients."

They watched as Wen Ruotang spoke a few words with the shopkeeper, then paid some money.

Finally, they bought some chives from the restaurant at a high price.

Wen Ruotang explained, "In winter, ordinary farmers definitely don't have chives at home, but this Wangjiang Restaurant is different. They cultivate chives in a greenhouse in advance.

This way, during winter, customers can still order a plate of chive dumplings when they come here.

It's not just chives; there are also some vegetables not commonly seen in winter."

Jiang Ning understood.

To put it plainly, it was a greenhouse.

One had to admit, the Old Ancestors were truly wise.

Shen Jinhuan felt a little guilty, "Older Sister Ruotang, why don't we pay for this meal together?"

"What are you saying!" Wen Ruotang said seriously, "How can an older sister let her younger siblings pay?"

Two quarters of an hour later.

Jiang Ning and Shen Jinhuan entered Wen Ruotang's courtyard.

The accumulated snow in the courtyard had already been swept into the tree pits.

Compared to the emptiness of their own courtyard, the layout here was very compact.

Wen Ruotang had even set up a chicken coop, free-ranging some hens for eggs.

Upon entering the house.

Jiang Ning saw a loom and some unfinished embroidery pieces placed by the window in the main hall.

He praised, "Older Sister Ruotang is truly multi-talented."

Jiang Ning couldn't discern the quality of the embroidery, but just by looking at the stitches and patterns, he knew Wen Ruotang's skill couldn't be bad.

Wen Ruotang stoked the charcoal brazier to make it hotter.

Then she poured tea for Jiang Ning and Shen Jinhuan.

She herself moved a chair over and began to pluck the chives.

Jiang Ning rolled up his sleeves, ready to help.

Wen Ruotang said, "Your hands are for holding a brush; how can you do such rough work?"

Jiang Ning said seriously, "If I can't even take care of my family, what's the point of holding this brush? Our home doesn't keep idlers who just eat and wait to die."

After speaking, he directly started cleaning the soil from the chive roots.

Shen Jinhuan also happily sat down.

Wen Ruotang looked at the scene before her, then at the white snow outside the window.

She felt that this winter would definitely be a warm one.

After finishing the chives, Wen Ruotang went to scramble eggs for the filling.

Jiang Ning wanted to go to the kitchen.

Wen Ruotang was a little suspicious.

Shen Jinhuan tugged on Wen Ruotang's hand and said, "Older Sister Ruotang, my brother cooks very well!"

"Really?"

Wen Ruotang still didn't believe it.

She went to the kitchen with Shen Jinhuan to watch Jiang Ning cook.

Jiang Ning was completely flustered.

With Wen Ruotang watching, how could he use Spiritual Qi to light the fire?

"Stop looking, use the tinder."

Wen Ruotang took out the tinder from beside the stove and handed it to Jiang Ning.

Right, right, right, tinder.

Jiang Ning slapped his forehead.

He bent down to start the fire.

After a while.

Wen Ruotang said with pity, "Ning Jiang, you can bring Huanhuan here for meals every day. It's just a matter of adding a few more pairs of chopsticks for me."

He couldn't even start a fire properly; did that look like someone who cooked often?

Jiang Ning: ...Damn it.

He gave Shen Jinhuan a look.

Shen Jinhuan tugged at Wen Ruotang, "Older Sister Ruotang, is there something dirty in my hair?"

"Let me see."

Wen Ruotang patiently began to part Shen Jinhuan's hair.

Taking this opportunity, Jiang Ning's Spiritual Qi moved.

Boom—

The flames instantly rose and filled the stove.

The kindling and dry wood burned.

Jiang Ning silently stood up.

"There's nothing..."

Wen Ruotang told Shen Jinhuan, then turned around, "Oh! How did the fire get so big already!"

Shen Jinhuan stifled a laugh.

It wasn't until Jiang Ning skillfully scrambled the eggs that Wen Ruotang believed he could indeed cook, and his culinary skills were quite proficient.

With the filling ready.

It was time to roll the wrappers together.

Jiang Ning made the dumpling wrappers.

Wen Ruotang and Shen Jinhuan then wrapped the dumplings.

Shen Jinhuan didn't know how.

But she learned very quickly.

At noon.

The three sat on stools, gathered around a square wooden table.

The freshly cooked dumplings on the table were steaming hot, emitting white vapor.

Wen Ruotang first picked some dumplings for Shen Jinhuan.

Then she picked some for Jiang Ning as well.

Shen Jinhuan smiled and also picked some for Wen Ruotang.

Wen Ruotang's eyes were red.

Her heart also felt a little sour.

Shen Jinhuan took a bite of a dumpling and asked, "Older Sister Ruotang, do you have any wishes?"

Jiang Ning also pricked up his ears to listen.

Wen Ruotang said with a smile, "I used to always want to achieve something great through my own efforts, so that my family could live well."

"But now, I no longer have the youthful passion I once did. I only wish for the people I care about to be safe and happy, nothing more, nothing less."

After the meal.

Jiang Ning and Shen Jinhuan bid farewell to Wen Ruotang.

When they arrived at their own courtyard.

Shen Jinhuan said wistfully, "Revered Master, if we also leave, Older Sister Ruotang will probably be very, very sad, right?"

Jiang Ning didn't speak, but his face also showed a hint of melancholy.

This was why he didn't want to get involved with these "Mortals" at first.

The hardest thing to sever was emotion.

He changed the subject, "How is your 蚀 Ling Fruit refining coming along?"

Shen Jinhuan thought for a moment and said, "It'll probably take another half a month!"

In fact, she had already refined more than half of it; the rest should be completed in less than a week.

But she wanted to stay here a little longer.

Jiang Ning knew the young girl's thoughts perfectly well.

He nodded.

"Alright, once you're done refining, we'll set off."

If it weren't for Yun Qingyao, he might have taken Shen Jinhuan and stayed here with Wen Ruotang for a lifetime.

But... such was the nature of fate in this world.

Shen Jinhuan went to play in the snow again.

She didn't want to think about these unhappy things.

She built a big apple.

She originally wanted to share it with Jiang Ning.

But Jiang Ning preempted her.

Jiang Ning raised an eyebrow, "Huanhuan, why did you pile a butt in the courtyard? How unseemly?"

Shen Jinhuan: ???

So annoying!

She kicked down the apple she had painstakingly built and entered the house without a word.

Jiang Ning was puzzled.

"How can she change her mood faster than flipping a book?"

In the evening.

The snow fell deeper again.

Jiang Ning looked into the distance, his brows tightly furrowed.

"A snowstorm brings a chance to stir up the winds and clouds."

The Jiangzhou City gate opened wide in the dead of night!

The Jiangzhou Governor, in his crimson official robes, waited in the open space in front of the gate.

Upon the arrival of a general in silver armor.

The Jiangzhou Governor immediately knelt with his trusted aides.

"The Jiangzhou Governor respectfully greets Prince Dingjiang!"

Prince Dingjiang, in his silver armor, looked up at the gate tower inscribed with the words "Jiangzhou."

He drew his long sword and shouted to the soldiers behind him.

"Soldiers, follow me, and take control of Jiangzhou City!"

That night.

Within Jiangzhou City, whether they were high officials and noble gentry or ordinary citizens, no one could sleep.

The muffled hooves of horses on the streets, accompanied by the clashing sound of armor, filled people with fear.

Wen Ruotang was awakened.

She put on a thick coat, pressed against the courtyard gate, listening to the commotion outside, her heart filled with unease.

This "warm winter" for her had just begun.

And now it was about to end again because of "war."

The Jiangzhou Governor respectfully greets Prince Dingjiang!