Chapter 374: Holding Up A Piece of Heaven
Di Yelei and Liu Sisi rode on, taking the small path outside the bookstore to head home.
The snow grew heavier, almost blinding their eyes.
The horses were cautious as they ran, fearing that a slip might cause them to fall.
“Wait! Stop!” Liu Sisi shouted.
Di Yelei quickly reined in his horse and looked back: “What’s the matter, Sisi?”
“The snow is too heavy. It’s not too bad here, but how can we cross the wind hole in the mountain hollow later? Let’s not go home. Let’s turn back! Let’s go back to the bookstore to rest for the night and head directly to the county tomorrow.”
Within a short moment, the heavy snow fell upon their clothes, forming small pockets.
Looking up at the sky, all they could see was a silvery white.
Di Yelei reached out and touched Liu Sisi’s cold little hand and quickly held it in his palm.
After thinking for a while, he said: “That’s a good idea. The snow this year is really unusual, too heavy. But this jujube red horse … will have to go hungry tonight.”
As he spoke, he tightened the reins and turned back towards the bookstore.
Although he had an instinctive hostility towards Nan Tianzong, going to the bookstore to rest meant staying on the other’s territory.
But after a few days of repeated investigation, the deeper he dug into the other’s identity, the more frightened he became. Eventually, he traced it back to the current Eighth Prince. However, various warnings followed – even the County Magistrate Su came to him, and he realized that he had touched some hidden secrets that should not be touched.
Only then did he stop his investigation, thought for a while, and maintained a suitable distance from Nan Tianzong to observe him.
The two quickly returned to the bookstore and entered directly from the back door. The jujube red horse was tied outside the house, and the warmth enveloped them as soon as they stepped inside.
Liu Sisi’s face was pale from exhaustion and cold.
Di Yelei didn’t care about anything else and quickly tidied up Di Cheng’s usual bed, spread the quilt, and helped her lie down.
“The conditions here are limited, Di Cheng is frugal, and besides the quilt you bought for him, there doesn’t seem to be any extra quilts here.” Di Yelei said as he flipped over the cabinet where the quilts were stored, finding a tattered cotton wadding in the end.
“It’s alright, this cotton quilt is warm enough, use those cotton waddings for the jujube red horse,” said Liu Sisi casually.
“That’s what I was thinking too.”
As Di Yelei spoke, he left the room. By the time he returned after a round of preparations, Liu Sisi had already taken a short nap.
Feeling warm, Liu Sisi suddenly felt refreshed.
“Something strange happened today. Madam Gan Senior didn’t talk to me alone, how odd.”
“Of course she didn’t talk to you, because she talked to me.”
Di Yelei took off his clothes and lay down beside Liu Sisi, hugging her small body in his arms: “After you and Miss of Gan Family left, Lord Gan and Madam Gan Senior talked to me. They asked about some things from our past.”
“What did they ask?”
Liu Sisi rolled into his arms, curling her entire back into his warm embrace.
“Don’t worry about these things, Sisi. You and I are husband and wife, and I entrust the affairs of our home to you. As for the outside world… even if the sky fell, Di Yelei would still be there to support you! Because you are my wife, and your husband will take good care of you, and also… ”
His large palm silently covered her still flat belly, “and our children too, supporting a world for you all. Trust me, Sisi!”
“Mm, I trust you!”
Liu Sisi sighed softly, and although she wanted to know what everyone had talked about, she felt his burning closeness!
His strong body was like a big brazier, instantly warming her heart in such a cold winter day. Soon, she found a safe position in his arms, resting on his iron arm, and fell into a deep sleep.
Di Yelei carefully held the small woman in his arms, unable not to tighten his arm. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to say it or didn’t tell Sisi the details; instead, the situation in the court was so changeable and fast. With Sisi still pregnant, telling her would only cause her worry and strain without any benefit.
It would be better to tell her everything when things become clear in the future!
Di Yelei pressed the center of his brow. Since ancient times, those who were involved in the struggle for imperial power either became rich and powerful or ended up with broken families and destroyed lives. Nowadays, both he and Sisi were involved, and it was not easy to withdraw safely.
After tossing and turning all night, the next day had not yet dawned when the two quickly washed up and headed towards the county.
The first stop for the two was not the Gan Family’s pawnshop, but rather the newly opened Drunken Fairy Restaurant by Nan Tianzong!
Although the Drunken Fairy Restaurant had been open for quite some time, this was Liu Sisi’s first visit. The restaurant used red as its base color, with red pillars and exposed beams, and in the center hung a heavy plaque with the words “Drunken Fairy” written in a dancing dragon and phoenix script! Even in the early morning, the restaurant was bustling with people coming and going, full of excitement.
The waiter stood at the entrance, and when he saw the two dismounting, he immediately came to welcome them.
“Please, both of our guests come in. Our Drunken Fairy Restaurant not only provides a place to rest for horses but also offers accommodations for travelers. We guarantee both of you will be satisfied…”
As the waiter rambled on, the two entered the courtyard.
Most of the tables around the courtyard were occupied by people having breakfast. Liu Sisi found an empty table and sat down, asking curiously, “Waiter, what kind of breakfast do you have here?”
The waiter hastily brought over a pot of hot tea for the two, and poured it, “Customer, we have many things in our shop, such as meat and vegetable buns, soy milk, fried dough sticks, dumplings, wontons, glutinous rice dumplings, spicy noodles, hot and sour rice noodles, planed noodles, hand-pulled noodles… What would both of you like to eat?”
Liu Sisi was a bit dumbfounded, “Waiter, your breakfast seems to be a bit… ”
“Are you saying that our shop’s breakfast has dishes from both northern and southern regions? This is just the specialty of our restaurant, trying to meet the needs of different customers. What do both of you plan to eat?”
The waiter still smiled warmly.
“Why don’t we just have one of each.”
Di Yelei, who was sitting next to her, spoke first, “Waiter, our horses weren’t fed yesterday, so make sure to add some good feed. Don’t worry about the silver.”
“All right, we have someone specially in charge of feeding the horses, so both of you can rest assured! One of each type of breakfast for both guests — ”
As the waiter spoke, he quickly ran downstairs.
Only then did Di Yelei lean closer to Liu Sisi, “How do you feel? Are the people all right? I must say, this shop of yours is quite well operated.” He remarked with admiration.