Chapter 15 (1/2)
Chapter 15: Xiao Qi, Don’t Go Past the Walls
Qian Xiao Qi got up early in the morning and even specially rummaged through the treasure chest to fish out a broad brimmed hat. Song Liang Zhuo was disturbed awake from the sound of her moving back and forth. Looking outside the window at the dawn sky which was just turning white, he felt a bit helplessly irked.
Xiao Qi stuck her head out, seeing that Song Liang Zhuo was already awake, hurriedly put on the white gauze hat for him to look at, and even twirled in a circle as she asked smiling: “How is it? This way a parasol isn’t necessary and my hands can be used to hold other things.”
“Good.” Song Liang Zhuo rubbed his forehead: “What else do you want to take?”
“If there’s any wild fruits or flowers I can pick them!”
“At this time of the year, where would there be wild fruits?”
Xiao Qi blinked: “That’s true.” An instant later she laughed again: “Then just treat it as an accessory hat to wear. As long as it looks nice.”
Song Liang Zhuo lied down again, speaking warmly: “Waking up so early, be careful that you don’t complain of being tired when you arrive.”
“How would I be tired going out to play?”
Xiao Qi hid behind the curtain and changed into a cool cotton cloth, the outer layer was a light purple gauze, inside was white embroidered bloomers. If the skirt got in the way, she could probably directly lift it up. Xiao Qi twirled in a circle satisfied and ran to the outer room: “Why is Official Song still sleeping? Hurry up!”
“The rest of them haven’t woken up yet. Moreover, we still have to eat breakfast before heading out.”
Xiao Qi ran to the door and took a look, and say with a ingratiating smile: “Why don’t we head out first? Just have them follow soon. Or you can just throw me there first and come back to get them?”
Song Liang Zhuo slightly wrinkled his brows as he looked towards Xiao Qi who was full of excitement: “You’re in this much of a hurry?”
Xiao Qi kicked the ground: “I’ve been bored for a long time.”
Song Liang Zhuo thought back to the past two years in which she waited in front of the government office gates early in the morning every day and his heart warmed. He smiled mildly: “That’s fine too. We can eat breakfast outside on the way.”
Xiao Qi hurriedly called Lu Liu to come in to help do her hair. While she washed her face she didn’t forget to say: “I want to eat the deep-fried breadstick on the east street of Qian fu.”
“Are you going back to your maternal home or going out to play?”
Qian Xiao Qi shot a glance at Song Liang Zhuo who seemed to be slightly off, but still expressionless, and swallowed her saliva: “Fine, I won’t eat. When I get home I’ll make it for it myself.”
Song Liang Zhuo rubbed his forehead and also washed his face.
Only the top of Xiao Qi’s hair was combed back and loosely pulled behind her head into an luxuriant bun, the rest of her hair was scatter over her shoulders. Looking at it, she appeared a bit mischievous and a bit laid-back, it really suited her personality and also showed the intention to go out to play.
Song Liang Zhuo unhurriedly brushed his teeth. Seeing her curved eyes staring at him, he laughed inside and calmly called again for the manservant to prepare a bamboo hat before lifting his feet to walk towards the outside. Xiao Qi ran to catch up. Seeing the bamboo hat in his hand she reached out to touch it, saying: “Can I wear this for a while?”
“Don’t you have a hat?”
“The two are not the same ah!”
Xiao Qi saw that Song Liang Zhuo didn’t reply and reached out to give a tug, then gave another tug, until Song Liang Zhuo loosened his grip and she grabbed it, laughing. She examined it, then tried wearing it, and muttered: “I wonder who wore it before. It looks so familiar.”
Who else could it be? And who was it that always ran to the government office entrance to gift a bamboo hat during rainy days? She doesn’t have even the slightest bit of modesty that a girl should have.
So basically, QXQ lost her memory, but it was her that gave SLZ this hat. SLZ still doesn’t know that QXQ lost her memory so he thinks she’s boasting about giving him the hat.
Xiao Qi rubbed the bamboo hat and pouted: “Official Song, you sure treat yourself well. This bamboo hat was made using spotted bamboo, and even uses carapace. No wonder I thought it looked nice!”
Exact type of spotted bamboo is Phyllostachys bambusoides f. lacrima-deae
Xiao Qi shook and cried in surprise: “And, and it has even been soaked in a mental alertness boosting scent? Aiyah! Official Song is so extravagant. You can’t bear to even give Ha Pi a mouthful of meat yet you wear something so luxurious. Tsk, tsk. Corrupt, corrupt!”
Song Liang Zhuo watched as the comments Xiao Qi made became more and more unreasonable. He reached out to take the bamboo hat back and stepped up the footstool and entered the carriage.
“Hey, Official Song!” Xiao Qi followed and climbed up as well. Just as she sat down her stomach gave a rumble of a growl.
“Ah, it thundered.” Xiao Qi covered her stomach and contracted it a little. She shot a glance at Song Liang Zhuo and asked: “Official Song, what are we going to eat?”
Song Liang Zhuo closed his eyes. After half the day, he finally replied: “Eat something edible.”
Xiao Qi spat. Who doesn’t know to eat something edible ah? If it’s not edible she definitely wouldn’t eat it! Qian Xiao Qi shot a glare at Song Liang Zhuo who was resting with his eyes closed. She rubbed her stomach and also yawned.
The carriage swayed out for a period of time and Song Liang Zhuo stopped hearing the sound of Xiao Qi muttering. Finding it strange, he opened his eyes and saw she had cleverly sat so that she could take a nap on the padded cus.h.i.+on side of the carriage.
Seriously, say go and you go! You can even sleep like this!
The Chinese saying is ‘think go and you go’ which means you act on impulse. The author probably changed it a little to emphasize QXQ’s selfishness on demanding SLZ walk up and take her out, then falling asleep herself, lol.
Song Liang Zhuo shook his head helplessly and lifted the curtain to tell the coachman to detour to the east street of Qian fu.
Qian Xiao Qi was woken up by the noise from her own stomach. She opened her eyes to see Song Liang Zhuo looking at her with a strange gaze. Xiao Qi wiped the corner of her mouth and asked, puzzled: “What is it?”
Song Liang Zhuo’s forehead twitched: “Do stomachs usually growl this loud?”
“I didn’t eat my fill last night.”
“How come you never eat your fill?”
“Right!?” Xiao Qi blinked: “Say, Official Song, how come I can never eat my fill?”
Eh, if I knew would I still ask you?
Song Liang Zhuo sighed and pa.s.sed the deep-fried breadsticks that were tied together with thin hemp thread over. Xiao Qi took it and first gave it sniff, before smiling with delighted squinted eyes: “It’s from the street where my house is.”
Xiao Qi happily took a bite. Glancing at Song Liang Zhuo, she took out one stick and pa.s.sed it over: “You eat too.”
Song Liang Zhuo shook his head; “I already ate.”
Xiao Qi glanced at Song Liang Zhuo whose mouth was completely clean and asked: ‘What did you eat?”
“Steamed buns.”