The man was dressed in a black brocade robe, wearing a black gauze hat, and a dragon-patterned saber that never left his body, it was Xia Xiaoqiu, the head of the shadow guard of the Imperial Guard.

Since she brought the mute back from the Tingwei Division, this Tingwei Division's Master Xia has been running to harass him from time to time, at first he swaggered in from the main gate with medicinal herbs, but now he didn't even knock on the door, and directly picked the nearest courtyard wall and climbed in.

Although his habit was not good, it also avoided being seen by the neighbors and saved her a lot of trouble.

You can guess with your toes that Xia Xiaoqiu is here to compete with the mute again this time.

"I mean, you're almost recovering, aren't you? Master Xia, I have brought all the most expensive medicinal materials in the treasury of the Tingwei Division, if you are a man, you will share the victory with me! ”

"Let's go."

The mute carried the bucket and avoided him as he walked towards the tank. He was sluggish, the sleeves of his grey coarse cloth coat rolled up, revealing his forearms that still showed signs of whipping.

Xia Xiaoqiu followed, looking at him and adding water to the water tank: "My lord is indeed kind and let you go, but you haven't passed this level yet." ”

The dumb man didn't look at him: "Let Jean." ”

Xia Xiaoqiu jumped away dexterously, watched him repeat the action of hitting the water, and deliberately provoked him: "You are also a person who mixes the rivers and lakes, hurry up in everything, don't twist and pinch like a girl, grandpa, I don't make a move now, it's for the sake of your injury, I don't want to bully you." If you don't fight again, don't blame grandpa for forcing you to take action. ”

The mute looked at him with a bucket full of water.

Xia Xiaoqiu lifted the gauze hat on his head with his hand, and looked at the spacious distance between the two: "I didn't stand in your way this time." ”

"You're blocking the sun."

"Okay, you're Wind Thirteen!"

Xia Xiaoqiu began to roll up her sleeves, but the dumb man was still unmoved.

Song Ran looked at them helplessly, and didn't pay attention to how the dumb man moved, so he easily avoided the little man who pounced on him, and looked at the other party calmly: "Call Chu Yi under the name, Lord Xia can also call me dumb, I don't know Feng Thirteen, Lord Xia, please ask for advice elsewhere." ”

With that, he put down the bucket, picked up the woodcutter, and went to the wood-room.

Xia Xiaoqiu was just about to expose him, when he heard Uncle Zhong's voice: "Lord Xia, the young master of my family is invited." The freshly made Qingming dumplings, Lord Xia should also try them. ”

Under the eaves of the flower hall not far away, a woman was sitting there in a plain robe, with tea and snacks beside her, looking at him with a smile. An osmanthus tree in front of the house has already pulled out new branches, and the light cherry skirt on her body is a faint color in early spring.

Xia Xiaoqiu raised his fist in mid-air and fell, stuffed the medicinal materials he was carrying in his other hand into Zhong Bo's arms, and said, "These medicinal materials, old man, you look at them, they are all tributes in the palace, okay." So saying, he walked over to her and sat down beside her.

"Lord Xia doesn't have official business today, how can he have spare time to come to the Humble House as a guest?"

In the past, they came in a hurry and left in a hurry, but today they have been entangled with the dumb man for so long, and they have no spare time.

"Qingming Sheng's grace, there are five days of rest, I have nothing to do anyway, so I will come here to go around." As he spoke, he grinned as he picked up the dumplings on his plate.

Qingming dumplings are made of mugwort leaves and glutinous rice, with the filling of jelly bean paste sandwiched in the middle, which is a popular snack in the south of the Yangtze River, and every household eats it during the Qingming Festival. He only took one bite and showed a surprised expression, this ordinary Qingming dumpling, the appearance is as green as jade, the bite is glutinous and soft, sweet but not greasy, for him who loves sweets, he can't stop.

Song Ran smiled: "Uncle Zhong's craftsmanship, can it still meet the appetite of adults?" ”

He swallowed one quickly, then picked up another: "Very good! Old man, your craftsmanship is more authentic than those time-honored brands! ”

Zhong Bo stood aside with his hands down: "Lord Hexia's appetite is good." ”

Xia Xiaoqiu took an inch and asked him: "If there is anything left, I'll take it back and give it to the adults to taste!" ”

"My family" is Xia Xiaoqiu's four words that never leave his mouth.

Song Ran was very suspicious of what Shen Hanxi had done to make Xia Xiaoqiu so desperate for him.

"The adult and the young master are chatting first, the old slave will do it now, and the adult will take it with him when he leaves, and it will be hot to return to the Tingwei Division."

Song Ran nodded at Uncle Zhong with satisfaction, his words easily solved the problem of sending off guests, and coaxed Xia Xiaoqiu to smile.

Xia Xiaoqiu suddenly asked: "I don't know something, why did he call you young master?" ”

Song Ran poured him a cup of tea and said lightly: "My mother passed away shortly after giving birth to me, and my father raised me as an heir at first. ”

Xia Xiaoqiu nodded, and asked her why she came to Ling'an alone.

"My father continued, and the new lady didn't like me very much, and after giving birth to my younger brother, she was afraid that I would divide his share of the family property, so I ...... and he resolved to stay away from them. ”

Xia Xiaoqiu didn't know the truth of her words, she was stunned for a moment, her expression sank, and she asked, "Your father won't stop you?" ”

Song Ran shook his head and said, "I'm afraid my father is out of sight and out of mind." ”

After hearing this, Xia Xiaoqiu seemed to be very touched, and said coldly: "The world is full of irresponsible parents. You're luckier than me, at least your dad has been raising you for so many years. I was abandoned by my own son at birth, and I was picked up to save this little life, but the family who picked me up also had a hard life, and they were so poor that they couldn't open the pot, and they added an extra mouth for nothing. Fifteen years ago, there was a famine, my brother and my mother starved to death, but the hateful thing is that my father had just borrowed two coins of silver to buy rice, and the family was robbed, and the life-saving money was taken away, and my father was so sad and angry that he swallowed his breath in a few days......"

He said to himself, not noticing the sudden pause of the mute movement of chopping wood next to him.

"Fortunately, I met an adult and rewarded me with a bite to eat, otherwise I wouldn't be where I am today. If I see the thief of that day again, I will definitely not be able to spare him! ”

Song Ran didn't expect him to have such a past, and looked at him distressed for a while: "The world is so big, how can you find a thief who has never even met in person?" ”

Although he told a heavy story, there was no haze between his eyebrows, and he said proudly: "This is God's eyes, when the thief took the money, I happened to bump into him, and I chased him for half a street, and almost twisted him to see the official!" ”

As he spoke, he ripped open his collar and leaned over the back of his neck to show her: "When I tore it, I saw that there was a birthmark in his place." ”

The dumb man's chopping of wood suddenly lost his head, and the axe fell on the wooden pier at once, and was inserted diagonally. He paused for a moment, pulled out his axe, and carried it silently into the kitchen.

Xia Xiaoqiu narrowed his eyes: "What's wrong with him, what medicine did he take?" ”

Song Ran thought about Xia Xiaoqiu's words, combined with the mute's reaction, his heart moved slightly, and guessed: "It's probably tired, and it's probably the words of the adult who is suitable for talent, which made him ...... his former self There was a wavering. ”

Xia Xiaoqiu forgot that this Feng Thirteen was also a thief, and after thinking about it, he shouted at the kitchen with his throat pulled: "Don't worry, grandpa, I am a sane person, and I will never anger all thieves because of one thief!" Although we have been hostile before, since you have let you go, I will not trouble you again. If you can fight with me, Xia Ye and I can still make friends with you. ”

After a while, a cold sentence came from the kitchen: "I don't want to make you a friend." ”

Xia Xiaoqiu's eyes were slightly dark, this person is really a toast and don't eat and drink.

Fortunately, Song Ran spoke in time: "My lord, where did you learn this kung fu?" ”

Speaking of his martial arts origins, Xia Xiaoqiu couldn't help but dance with his eyebrows: "That's a good question, everyone in the Tingwei Division is a master, I learned a little from everyone to practice this martial arts." He omitted the parts that were beaten and his nose was swollen and swollen, and said, "Master, I call it self-taught, and when I retire in the future, I will open a sect and recruit ......disciples."

The mute hiding in the kitchen secretly said, no wonder he couldn't guess his way when he fought with him, it turned out to be a faction of his own. Thinking of what he had just said, the light in his eyes couldn't help but become bright and dark again.

Xia Xiaoqiu chatted with Song Ran for a few words, and finally brought up the eternal topic again: "My family was invited by the eldest prince to shoot willows in the tiger camp today, and I originally wanted to follow to see it, but there are restrictions on the entourage, so it is cheaper for the kid of Longpan." ”

This willow shooting is also simple, that is, to the wicker inserted into the ground, galloping horses to shoot it, the winner is the winner, it is a riding and archery sport that is quite popular in the Qingming Dynasty.

From the children of the commoners to the royal family, willow shooting has become a popular pastime. Martial artists are even more to test the skills of riding and archery, and every year a willow shooting competition is held in the barracks, and the winner can get the praise of the camp.

Song Ran thought for a while and said, "I heard that Lord Long was born in the Tiger Camp, so he must have outstanding riding and archery ability, and he must be able to overwhelm everyone and earn some face for Lord Shen." ”

Xia Xiaoqiu scoffed: "Long Pan? Which onion is he? Let me tell you this, in the entire Ling'an City, no one can play with my family, and even the current saints are full of praise! ”

Song Ran had an unbelievable expression on her face, she knew that she was a master in the Imperial Guard, but if she remembered it well, Shen Hanxi, the commander-in-chief, was not from a martial arts background. Is his riding and archery ability better than that of the masters of the Tiger Battalion?

Xia Xiaoqiu, the number one admirer of Shen Hanxi, naturally did not miss the doubt on her face, he suddenly became interested, his eyes flashed, and said, "You don't believe it? Why don't I take you over and have a look? ”

Song Ran was stunned: "Didn't Lord Xia say that there is a limit to the entourage?" ”

Xia Xiaoqiu's lips hooked up a far-reaching smile, and his eyes were bright: "Of course it's not good to follow blatantly, but with your Xia Ye's ability, it doesn't mean that you will get in and get in." ”

He was full of confidence, but Song Ran refused ten thousand times in his heart: "But the folk girl followed...... Isn't it always right? ”

"With me, what are you afraid of? Let's go, I'll take you to open your eyes. In this Ling'an City, not everyone can have this eye blessing! ”