TL: Hua
It had rained for several days in a row. As soon as the sky cleared, Mu Yu busied himself with cleaning the courtyard. Xu Yanqing moved all his wooden boards and blueprints outside, pulling Yin Yanjun along to pass the time together.
Xu Yanqing had already sorted out a few gears for the mechanical clock, and there were many smaller, more intricate parts remaining, which looked quite complicated.
Qi Chen came over for a look and was immediately roped in by Xu Yanqing, who handed him some sandpaper and asked him to polish the parts.
Qi Chen: He shouldn’t have looked. He was just asking for trouble. He really regrets it!
In a short while, Yin Yanjun had affixed all the blueprints for the small parts onto the wooden boards. Compared to the grim-faced and busy Qi Chen, he was much more at ease. He specifically went to the kitchen to get hot water, brewed a pot of tea, and placed it in a corner of the table.
The young master couldn’t drink tea at this stage, so he specifically asked Mu Yu for peach jam and brewed a warm fruit tea for the young master.
Taoist Master Xuanchen is truly considerate. Qi Chen couldn’t help but click his tongue. Then he looked at the pile of small parts in front of him and silently sighed: Ah, when will I be able to marry a wife as considerate as Taoist Master Xuanchen?
However, Qi Chen also noticed the special way these two interacted. He specifically observed his own father and mother and even risked being teased by extracting information from Aunt Li. Thus, he could vaguely discern that while the young master and Taoist Xuanchen sometimes got along very harmoniously, at other times there was a slight “respectful distance” between them.
It was as if the two of them were forcibly bound together by the fetus in the belly, and once the child was born, they would go their separate ways. Qi Chen felt a bit frustrated, truly unable to understand what these two parties were thinking.
However, ever since Taoist Xuanchen arrived, the young master’s complexion seemed to be getting rosier and brighter each day. Qi Chen pondered that he should thoroughly research matters needing attention during mid-to-late pregnancy, lest the young master’s health take a turn for the worse then and he’d be flustered, which would greatly embarrass old Doctor Qi!
Xu Yanqing finished with the small parts he was working on. Seeing Qi Chen’s dazed expression, he couldn’t resist clapping his hands loudly by the other’s ears.
A thunderous clap startled Qi Chen awake from his wild thoughts. He shuddered, nearly falling backward.
“Young master, don’t you know that scaring people can scare them to death!” Qi Chen, feeling embarrassed, quickly grabbed Xu Yanqing and started an accusation.
Xu Yanqing picked up a teacup and poured Qi Chen a cup of water: “Alright, alright, I apologize to young Doctor Qi. But can young Doctor Qi explain why it took you so long to polish just two small parts?”
“Cough, cough.” Qi Chen chuckled as he took the cup of tea, coughing twice before forcefully regaining his composure: “This is what they call ‘slow work makes fine goods,’ young master, do you understand?”
“No, I really don’t understand.” The salted fish could only understand this logic when he was slacking off. At this moment, he was full of enthusiasm and understood nothing.
Xu Yanqing put all the parts into a wooden box, then comfortably nestled into the lounge chair, slowly polishing them. It was just a way to pass the time anyway.
The wooden box was placed on Xu Yanqing’s belly. The box was light, and the parts inside were also light, so they didn’t press down on the little bean inside at all.
Recently, the little bean had become more active than before, like a slightly larger fish, swimming from one side of Xu Yanqing’s abdomen to the other, back and forth, quite lively.
So the wooden box placed on Xu Yanqing’s belly became unstable, swaying back and forth. Xu Yanqing snorted disdainfully; children really weren’t cute at all.
Though Yin Yanjun was reading, his gaze occasionally fell upon the young master. Seeing this, a smile flickered in his eyes. He took a stool, placed it beside the lounge chair, slowly took the wooden box away from the young master’s abdomen, and placed it on the stool.
There were still many parts in the wooden box that needed polishing, so Yin Yanjun gently asked, “Do you need help?”
“Hm.” Xu Yanqing readily handed the half-polished part in his hand to Taoist Xuanchen. A salted fish, if they can be lazy, won’t be polite to others. Just now, his wrist was also tired. His current body was too delicate, unlike his previous life. However, it didn’t matter. The despondent salted fish would not develop any desire to strengthen himself. Squinting his eyes, looking at the cloudless sky above, the lazy young master slowly closed his eyes.
Yin Yanjun leisurely polished the part in his hand, occasionally glancing at the young master’s abdomen. Compared to the last time he felt it, the fetus’s movements seemed to have become stronger.
Qi Chen watched the two silently. Seeing Taoist Xuanchen’s ambiguous expression, he suddenly whispered, “The young master is asleep. Taoist Master, you can touch the young master’s belly. Perhaps the child’s movements will be even greater; after all, the child also yearns to interact with his other father.”
Yin Yanjun’s expression remained unchanged upon hearing this. He didn’t even look up at Qi Chen, just quietly began polishing the parts in his hand.
Qi Chen, seeing that he couldn’t persuade Taoist Xuanchen, felt deeply bored and quickly slipped away. He figured his time would be better spent reading medical texts and learning more things.
After Qi Chen left, Yin Yanjun silently returned his gaze to the young master’s abdomen, his eyes holding a somewhat complex and expectant look, but he didn’t forget the task the young master had given him.
“Taoist Master has been watching for so long; are you really not going to touch your son?” Xu Yanqing slowly opened his eyes, a playful look dancing in them. It was clear he hadn’t truly been asleep.
Yin Yanjun looked up, meeting the young master’s gaze. His usually dignified and self-possessed face held a trace of embarrassment and hesitation. The next moment, Xu Yanqing, just like last time, directly took the Taoist Master’s hand and placed it on his abdomen.
At such close contact, Yin Yanjun could clearly feel the young master’s warmth. The little bean didn’t disappoint and quickly moved under his father’s palm.
This time, the movement was indeed stronger than last time. Yin Yanjun looked up and asked, “He’s moving back and forth in your belly. Do you feel uncomfortable?”
“Mm.” Xu Yanqing thought for a moment and said, “Not really that uncomfortable!” Anyway, the salted fish just eats and sleeps all day. This life might seem disheartening and sluggish, but the salted fish himself was quite satisfied.
Yin Yanjun averted his gaze, moving his hand from the young master’s abdomen, and continued leisurely polishing the small object in his hand, though the expression on his face was one that the salted fish couldn’t decipher.
Xu Yanqing couldn’t help but chuckle. He turned sideways, smiling lightly as he looked at the cool and aloof Taoist Master in front of him. He reached out a finger and tugged at the other’s sleeve: “Don’t bother with those things anymore, Taoist Master, read to me!”
After all, the books the Taoist Master read… could be hypnotic.
Yin Yanjun turned back, quietly looking at the young master, his eyelashes subtly trembling. After a long pause, he put down the wooden box and slowly stood up, picking up the book from the table.
The book Yin Yanjun had been reading recently was a sutra, the content of which was somewhat obscure and difficult to understand, so he read it slower than usual. He hadn’t expected the young master to make such a request.
Threads of sunlight refracted on Yin Yanjun’s face, making his complexion as clear and smooth as jade. Xu Yanqing glanced at him, then suddenly closed his eyes.
Yin Yanjun held the scroll, slowly reading word by word. His voice carried an inherent warmth and clarity. Xu Yanqing, with his eyes closed, silently raised a hand and rubbed his ears.
Why did he suddenly ask the Taoist Master to read to him? In the salted fish’s mind, as he closed his eyes, images of the young couples he had seen in his past life surfaced, and he recalled his mother’s distraught cries. Perhaps he had once yearned for it too. Humans were truly complex.
A gentle breeze wafted by, carrying the warmth of early summer. In the courtyard, other than Yin Yanjun’s cool and soothing reading voice, there was nothing else.
The young master, who had only intended to rest with his eyes closed on the lounge chair, was already asleep in a short while. Yin Yanjun closed the sutra in his hand, his gaze soft and gentle as he looked at the young master on the lounge chair. He placed one hand on the other’s forehead, gently kneading the young master’s slightly furrowed brow.
Xu Yanqing’s nap wasn’t too long. When he woke up, the sun was still bright. He sat up and looked around. Yin Yanjun had set up a desk in the courtyard, with many memorials on it. Wen Jing knelt beside him, grinding ink. When reviewing memorials, Yin Yanjun looked somewhat solemn, an expression Xu Yanqing had never seen on Taoist Xuanchen. It clearly showed a certain imperial majesty.
Xu Yanqing blinked. He was just letting his mind wander when he heard Yin Yanjun’s gentle voice beside his ear: “Have some water.”
Xu Yanqing reached out and took the cup, taking a sip. It was plain boiled water, just the right temperature to drink. After he finished, Yin Yanjun very naturally took the cup back.
The thoroughly cared-for, despondent, salted fish sighed comfortably. Now that he was taken care of to such an extent of physical idleness, he feared that when the child was born, he might be somewhat unaccustomed.
However, the despondent salted fish never thought about the future; as long as he was comfortable and at ease in the present, he was already very satisfied.
Wen Jing, the imperial chief eunuch who was fiercely loyal to his master, initially felt a bit uncomfortable seeing His Majesty so attentively caring for Young Master Xu. But now, he had completely come to terms with it. What did it matter? As long as His Majesty was happy, that was enough.
The next day, Xu Yanqing woke up early. His recent period of hot flashes had finally passed, and he slept soundly every night. Most importantly, he finally stopped having those strange spring dreams.
Xu Yanqing was very satisfied with this, mainly because he only now realized he might have a tendency to sleepwalk. What if one day, while having a spring dream, he actually sleepwalked to Taoist Xuanchen’s presence and forced him to do this and that? That would be truly awful.
Pushing open the door, hair disheveled, Xu Yanqing comfortably stretched. Mu Yu, who was guarding the door, quickly pressed down his young master’s arm when he saw this: “Young master, young master, slow down; be careful not to strain your back.”
The salted fish had no intention of arguing and obediently put his arm down. Mu Yu, relieved, led him back into the room, pressed him into a chair, meticulously combed his young master’s black hair, and then tied it with a hairband.
“Oh, by the way, what happened to that wooden hairpin you used a while ago?” Mu Yu remembered that, for a period, his young master was particularly fond of that wooden hairpin.
The despondent salted fish: …
That wooden hairpin had long been secretly hidden by Xu Yanqing, and along with it, the ash-gray cloak.
Now that the true owner of the wooden hairpin was living in the courtyard, even if the salted fish was as dispirited and lazy as could be, he wouldn’t have the nerve to use a wooden hairpin secretly taken from someone else’s bed.
So, facing Mu Yu, who seemed extremely curious today, Xu Yanqing silently changed the subject: “Are you going to town today?”
Mu Yu went to town to deliver letters every once in a while and to buy items his young master needed from the town.
Indeed, upon hearing Xu Yanqing’s question, Mu Yu’s attention was immediately diverted. He patted the young master’s slightly disheveled clothes, nodded, and said, “Yes, it’s time to send letters to the Marquis and Madam again.”
“Oh!” Xu Yanqing nodded with satisfaction: “Then you go after you eat. Go early and come back early. Be careful on the road.”
Receiving his young master’s instructions, Mu Yu was very happy, his face radiating a brilliant, somewhat foolish smile.
After an early breakfast, Mu Yu packed up his things and went to Uncle Huzi’s house to hitch a ride on the ox cart. Qi Chen also eagerly followed along; he needed to buy some missing medicinal herbs in town.
Taoist Xuanchen needed to do his morning lessons, so the bored salted fish slumped miserably in a lounge chair. The warm sun shining on him made him feel drowsy.
The sky was clear and blue, like it had just been washed. Xu Yanqing looked up, his clear eyes reflecting continuous stretches of soft, white clouds. Xu Yanqing smacked his lips, suddenly craving cotton candy. Although it was just spun sugar and not particularly delicious, still… ugh, the salted fish really wanted cotton candy.
Then Xu Yanqing sat up from the lounge chair, his mind filled with the soft, sweet taste of cotton candy. But it seemed that cotton candy didn’t exist in ancient times… The salted fish couldn’t help but feel a little wronged.
“Are you feeling unwell?” Yin Yanjun had just walked into the courtyard when he saw the young master sitting in the lounge chair, staring blankly. This seemed a bit unusual, so he walked over and asked softly.
The young master would rather lie down than sit still, and his little face seemed aggrieved and pitiful.
The salted fish looked up at the white clouds overhead, blinked, and said, “Taoist Master, have you ever eaten cotton candy?”
Cotton candy? Please forgive the Taoist Master, whose diet was always bland and who rarely ate sweets, for his ignorance. He had truly never heard of cotton candy.
Yin Yanjun honestly shook his head: “Does the young master want to eat candy?”
The salted fish found it tiring to think about nonexistent things, so he languidly lay back. A moment later, he opened his mouth: “I want cotton candy!”
Yin Yanjun, slightly worried, reached out to touch the young master’s wrist. Seeing him still in that wronged and pitiful state, his voice became exceptionally gentle: “Young master, can you tell me what cotton candy looks like? I’ll have Wen Jing search for it.”
Xu Yanqing struggled to lift the corners of his mouth into a smile, not intending to make things difficult for Chief Steward Wen. He just stared straight at the clouds overhead, wishing he could climb into the sky and pick a cloud to taste.
Suddenly, Xu Yanqing seemed to remember something. He abruptly sat up from the lounge chair, the smile at the corner of his mouth becoming more genuine as he pulled Yin Yanjun to his feet: “Taoist Master, you have never eaten cotton candy, right? Today, I’ll treat you to cotton candy.”
The young master’s inexplicable sadness vanished completely, replaced by heightened spirits. Yin Yanjun indulgently allowed the young master to pull him to the table to sit down. He watched the usually languid young master run into the room, then quickly run out again.
Xu Yanqing held some wooden and iron pieces, wire, and a template. He deftly assembled the wooden pieces into a lidless wooden box, then drilled several small holes around its sides.
The iron pieces were hammered into a small round can, also the kind without a lid. The salted fish hammered a few times and then ran out of strength, so he frankly handed the small hammer to Yin Yanjun beside him: “Taoist Master, help me out.”
The salted fish’s hands were fair and tender, only growing flesh but not an ounce of strength.
Yin Yanjun glanced at the young master, then, under his flattering and sparkling gaze, took the small hammer. Following the young master’s instructions, he hammered the iron piece to the appropriate size and shape.
The clear and pure Taoist Master Xuanchen had now become a blacksmith under the young master’s direction.
After drilling many small holes around the small tin can made from hammered iron, Xu Yanqing took out a wooden stick and an iron ring. He measured them and was incredibly relieved that they fit perfectly.
Finally, assembling all the prepared parts, Xu Yanqing proudly placed the wooden box in front of Yin Yanjun: “Taoist Master, pull the string wrapped around that wooden stick.”
Under the young master’s sparkling eyes, Yin Yanjun, following his instructions, pulled one of the strings with one hand. With a slight tug, the small tin can, made from hammered iron, began to spin rapidly.
“Wow, it really worked!” Xu Yanqing exclaimed with emotion. Indeed, good food was power, a power that could even motivate a lazy salted fish.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to eat candy?” Yin Yanjun raised his hand and gently wiped away the wood shavings from the young master’s face. His gaze fell upon the wooden box on the table, whose name he couldn’t recall, feeling a little confused. Was there a significant age gap between him and the young master, which was why he always struggled to understand the young master’s strange ideas?
The Taoist Master’s warm hand brushed lightly against his cheek, making Xu Yanqing’s cheeks heat up. He instinctively stood up and, under Yin Yanjun’s gaze, coughed, “I’ll go to the kitchen to get something.” Having said that, Xu Yanqing quickly slipped into the kitchen and patted his burning cheeks. He fetched sugar, a candle, and an iron spoon, waiting for the heat on his face to subside before returning to the courtyard.
Lighting the candle, he put the sugar into the iron spoon and quietly waited for the sugar granules to melt. Slowly, Xu Yanqing smelled a caramel aroma. He poured the melted syrup from the iron spoon into the small can in the wooden box, then looked up at Taoist Master Xuanchen with anticipation: “Taoist Master, Taoist Master, pull the string quickly!”
Yin Yanjun’s cool face showed a hint of gentle indulgence as he pulled the string as per the young master’s request. Once the small can started spinning, the melted sugar syrup passed through the small holes around it, turning into light caramel-colored sugar threads that adhered to the pre-cleaned wooden box.
Xu Yanqing looked at the layer of sugar threads with longing in his eyes. However, this amount could not be called cotton candy yet, so he continued to melt more sugar powder and urged Taoist Master Xuanchen to pull the string again.
Within the time it takes to steep a cup of tea, the entire wooden box was filled with light caramel-colored sugar threads. Xu Yanqing contentedly blew out the candle and used chopsticks to remove all the soft sugar threads.
This level of sugar threads naturally couldn’t compare to the cotton candy from his previous life, which was spun with tools and came in various colors and shapes.
Nonetheless, Xu Yanqing was very satisfied as he took a bite. Ancient sugar wasn’t adulterated with various strange things, so although the cotton candy in his hand wasn’t particularly good-looking, its taste was excellent.
Holding the somewhat ugly cotton candy up to Yin Yanjun, Xu Yanqing said with a smile, “Taoist Master, try some; it really tastes great.”
Looking at the young master’s beaming expression, the smile in Yin Yanjun’s eyes deepened slightly. He imitated the young master, tore off a piece of cotton candy, and put it in his mouth. The sugar threads melted instantly, carrying a hint of caramel sweetness. While not an exquisite delicacy, this experience was novel for Yin Yanjun.
“How is it?” Xu Yanqing leaned closer to the Taoist Master, staring intently. He naturally knew that this cotton candy wasn’t some precious imperial dish, but it was the result of their combined efforts, so he was especially eager for the Taoist Master’s evaluation.
Yin Yanjun’s movements were unhurried. He pulled another piece of cotton candy and put it in his mouth, then nodded approvingly: “It tastes good. I just don’t understand why the young master calls it cotton candy despite its light brown color.”
Upon hearing this, Xu Yanqing blinked, staring at the candy in his hand, which looked uglier the more he looked at it. Then he took a big bite. “Mmm, probably because the sugar threads are soft and look like clouds!”
Yin Yanjun looked down at the young master eating the candy and nodded gently: “In that case, it really does look like it.” The satisfied young master was like a petted cat, his entire demeanor brightening instantly.
Xu Yanqing, like a greedy guinea pig, gobbled up a large piece of cotton candy in just a few bites.
Yin Yanjun poured the young master a cup of warm water. The salted fish gulped it all down, instantly feeling content and becoming lazy once more.
Pushing aside the cotton candy-making tools, the salted fish lazily flopped onto the table, not even having the strength to stand up and walk to the lounge chair.
Ah, indeed, once appetite is satisfied, the true nature of a salted fish intensifies. A carefree life truly makes one more decadent.
Today, Mu Yu’s hair tie for his young master was a bit long, resting softly around Xu Yanqing’s waist. Due to his movements, he accidentally pulled the knot loose, and his entire head of black hair instantly scattered.
Xu Yanqing lay lazily on the table, with no intention of moving an inch. If his hair was loose, then it was loose. A salted fish didn’t need to be perfectly dressed; in fact, being unkempt was a kind of personality.
Yin Yanjun raised his hand and took the young master’s soft hair tie. He looked at the young master’s lazy shoulders and back for a moment, then gently ran his hand through the young master’s dark, smooth hair.
Being ruffled on the head, the salted fish showed no resistance; instead, he found his scalp tingling pleasantly, so he allowed Yin Yanjun to comb his hair with his fingers.
Yin Yanjun’s slender, fair, and distinctly jointed fingers slid from the young master’s head to his slender shoulders and back. He massaged the acupoints on the young master’s nape a few times, then gathered his long black hair and loosely tied it with the hair tie.
Finally, he wrapped it around a few times and tied a beautiful knot. The red hair tie lay neatly on the young master’s shoulder and back, leaving a stunning splash of color.
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I love how easy and fast things can be made in fiction…like this cotton candy machine hahahah