Going to the Banquet

“What?”

Xiaoguo couldn’t hear him clearly, so she asked him again.

Jiang Danhe looked down at Xiaoguo, his eyes filled with doubt. Was she referring to something else? Did he just confess?

“Look up quickly!”

Xiaoguo saw that he had lowered his head again. Blood was slowly flowing out of his nostrils. She couldn’t help but shout at him to look up.

Jiang Danhe subconsciously stood in a military posture and raised his head. It was only then that he felt something. He reached out to wipe his nose and was shocked when he saw what it was. Blood?!

“Jiang Danhe, Jiang Danhe, you’re an embarrassment!”

Looking at his dumbfounded expression, Xiaoguo knew that she couldn’t count on him to handle it himself. She had to deal with it instead.

Holding on to the handkerchief that she had brought with her, she grabbed Jiang Danhe’s clothes and pulled herself onto the carriage.

Before Jiang Danhe realized what was happening, Xiaoguo was already in front of him.

“Don’t move.”

Jiang Danhe subconsciously wanted to move, but Xiaoguo’s voice stopped him in his tracks, and he really stopped moving. He let Xiaoguo pull him to sit down and raise his head.

After a while, a pleasant feminine scent wafted over. Then, something touched his nose and gently wiped at it.

Jiang Danhe swallowed nervously and basically swallowed the blood down his throat.

Xiaoguo wiped his nose and thought that he seemed better, so she let him lower his head. It must be uncomfortable to keep looking up. She was afraid that he would twist his neck, so she placed her hand on his neck to help him slowly straighten his neck.

“Is everything okay now?”

Xiaoguo’s worried voice sounded. Zhuang Zhuang was also looking at Jiang Danhe worriedly. Just now, as the adults were preoccupied, Zhuang Zhuang was obedient and tried not to disturb them. Now that everything was fine, he came over.

“…Yes I’m okay.”

Jiang Danhe took the handkerchief that smelled like Xiaoguo. Seeing that she had no intention of taking it back, he carefully hid it in his arms. He would be keeping it as his treasured possession.

Xiaoguo was relieved to see that he was fine although he still appeared to be in a daze. It must be because he was wearing these thick boots. She had better make a new pair of thinner boots for him soon.

Jiang Danhe clutched at his heart. What a disappointment he was. To think that he had a nose bleed right in front of Xiaoguo. This should have happened in private, but the scene just now was…

Jiang Danhe couldn’t help but feel excited as the beautiful scene replayed in his mind. He felt like his nose was going to bleed again. Hence, he started to chant the Heart Sutra in his heart. “The sensory world is an illusion, and illusion is the sensory world…”

Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang looked at Jiang Danhe, who was acting all weird. They were a little puzzled. What was he mumbling about again?

Zhuang Zhuang shrugged. He didn’t understand…

“By the way, stop at the shop that sells jewelry.”

Xiaoguo suddenly thought of something. She couldn’t turn up empty-handed for a full month banquet.

Jiang Danhe was dumbfounded. Was Xiaoguo going to buy something? That made sense. Xiaoguo didn’t seem to have any jewelry on her. All she had was the ring he gave her on their wedding day.

“Okay!”

Jiang Danhe had brought a lot of money with him when he came out. He thought of spending all of it to get some jewelry for Xiaoguo.

The carriage stopped at the largest jewelry store in the area. Just as Xiaoguo was about to get out of the carriage, Jiang Danhe jumped out. When she peeked out of the carriage, she saw him waiting below to help her out.

She chuckled and placed her hand on his. She turned around and instructed Zhuang Zhuang, “Wait for us in the car.”

Zhuang Zhuang nodded, indicating that he would stay put.

Xiaoguo then got out of the carriage.

From the moment Jiang Danhe touched Xiaoguo’s hand, his heart started racing. How smooth and tender her skin was…

Once Xiaoguo had alighted, she let go of his hand and walked inside. Jiang Danhe was filled with disappointment. How wonderful it would be if she could hold on to his hand for a while longer.

After entering the shop, Xiaoguo asked the shop assistant if he had any jewelry for a month-old baby girl. Xiaoguo took her time choosing from the selection recommended by the shop assistant.

Jiang Danhe was rather surprised. So she wasn’t buying for herself, but for Zhu Yang’s daughter. He had not thought of that. “Guo’er is really thoughtful…”

Jiang Danhe was touched. Seeing how hard Xiaoguo was trying to select the gift, he started to look around the shop since he couldn’t help her with the selection. Since Xiaoguo was not going to pick something for herself, he would get one for her.

Xiaoguo finally picked out a longevity lock with jade beads from the pile. Just as she was about to pay for it, Jiang Danhe handed her the money.

He had passed her a large banknote. The longevity lock that Xiaoguo had chosen was not expensive. The amount of money that Jiang Danhe had given her was enough to buy ten longevity locks.

After a while, the shop assistant came over with the change. The bank note had been reduced to only a few taels of silver.

Xiaoguo was shocked. “Why is the change so little?”

Jiang Danhe calmly put the silver back into his pouch and showed Xiaoguo the bag in his hand. “I bought you something.”

“Woah!”

Xiaoguo’s heart was aching. How much money did this “little thing” cost?

The two of them left the shop and returned to the carriage. Zhuang Zhuang was already starting to miss them.

As soon as he saw them, he was eager to see what they had bought.

Xiaoguo handed the longevity lock to Zhuang Zhuang for him to take a look. He held it carefully, afraid that he would break it. After looking at it once, he handed it back to Xiaoguo.

Then, he looked at the bag in Jiang Danhe’s hand.

Jiang Danhe smiled and kept them in suspense. He clutched at the bag in his hand and told them he’d show them when they got back to the inn. Then, he put it in his chest pocket.

Zhuang Zhuang was so tantalized that he was dying to see it. However, Jiang Danhe kept teasing him and refused to show him. As a result, Zhuang Zhuang kept whining about it throughout the journey.

–

The carriage arrived at Zhu Yang’s residence. Someone had been waiting at the door to receive them.

Jiang Danhe got off the carriage first so that he could help Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang out.

Zhuang Zhuang was next in line to get off the carriage. When Jiang Danhe saw that it was him getting off next, he held the boy with one arm and brought him down. Jiang Danhe was more focused on helping Xiaoguo out of the carriage. When it came to Zhuang Zhuang, he just did whatever that worked.

Zhuang Zhuang snorted and took a glance at Jiang Danhe before moving away.

A pair of fair and slender hands reached out from behind the curtain. Seeing this, Jiang Danhe immediately stepped forward in a servile manner and extended his hand to support her.

Seeing his behavior, Xiaoguo couldn’t help but laugh.

Jiang Danhe looked up when he heard her laughter and was immediately stunned.

Her smile was truly beautiful.

“Hey fool, come to your senses.”

Xiaoguo held on to his hand and alighted the carriage. She gave him a tug when she saw that he was in a daze. “Why was he in such a daze today?”

“Oh, let’s go.”

Jiang Danhe grabbed Xiaoguo’s hand and walked towards the mansion.

Seeing this, Xiaoguo struggled. “Hey, hey, hey. Zhuang Zhuang, Zhuang Zhuang.”

“He had forgotten about Zhuang Zhuang!”

Jiang Danhe was so focused on pulling Xiaoguo away that he had forgotten about Zhuang Zhuang, who was waiting for them at the side.

“Hurry up.”

Xiaoguo was about to hold Zhuang Zhuang’s hand when Jiang Danhe pulled her back. He turned around and spat out the two words mercilessly at Zhuang Zhuang.

Zhuang Zhuang pouted and stood rooted to the ground with his hands still in an outstretched position. If he had to walk by himself, so be it. “Hmph…”

The butler immediately ran over when he saw them. He smiled and looked at the three of them. “Hello, General. You must be Madam and Young Master.”

When Jiang Danhe came to visit earlier, the butler had already met him. He knew that Jiang Danhe would bring his wife and son over, so he had been waiting outside for their arrival.