What appeared in Li Chenan's eyes was a pink face.
There are fine drops of water on this face, whether it's tears or rain, Li Chen'an can't possibly lick it.
He is a little sluggish at the moment.
Firstly, he realized that he might not even be able to beat this little brat who had just turned five years old, and secondly, it was the buzzing and vibration of the sword in the scabbard on his back——
Zhongli Ruohua held a sword in his hand.
She was hanging on Li Chenan's chest and neck, and the sword in her hand was naturally behind Li Chenan.
Very close to the scabbard.
This feeling is stronger than when I first met Zhongli Ruohua.
He was sure that the sword in Zhongli Ruohua's hand was somehow related to the sword on his back, but he didn't know that these two swords were a pair.
Zhongli Ruohua's eyes widened at this time, she also felt the vibration of the sword in her hand, and felt a little strange, just a little strange, she didn't think about it, and she didn't know how to think about it.
A voice rang in her ears, it was the voice of her grandma Fan Taohua
"Ruohua...!"
Zhong Liruo drew a jerk and fell off Li Chenan's neck.
She stood in front of Li Chen'an, raised her head, and said in a childish voice, "Brother-in-law, I'll go find you after I finish my sword practice!"
"As promised, please invite me to Juxian Pavilion to eat delicious food, don't forget!"
Leaving those words behind, she jumped into the open area of the courtyard and danced her sword in the autumn rain.
The small body was flying in the rain, and the pitch-black sword was cutting in the rain.
Li Chen'an couldn't understand what kind of sword technique Zhongli Ruohua was practicing, but he just thought it looked very powerful.
Still very nice.
Like a fluttering butterfly.
Li Chenan had nothing to do with this sister-in-law, he and Zhongli Ruoshui looked at each other, shrugged, and the two continued to move forward.
"Little sister...Little sister is a bit too lonely."
"After all, I'm only five years old. When I was five years old, it was very lively here, with many cousins."
Zhongli Ruoshui said while walking
"Actually, there are two large training grounds in the east and west courtyards. They are all practicing martial arts in the training grounds. I can't practice. I can only watch from the sidelines. I am very envious..."
She suddenly looked at Li Chen'an, and asked, "I can't practice martial arts, so I can't accompany you in the rivers and lakes. You, do you feel restricted?"
Li Chenan smiled slightly, "What are you thinking? I'm not expected to practice martial arts, and I've never thought about going out into the rivers and lakes."
Zhongli Ruoshui looked away, thinking that even if you don't go to the rivers and lakes, you are already in the rivers and lakes.
...
...
Under the autumn rain is a lotus pond.
Li Chen'an originally thought that Zhongli Ruoshui would take him to a certain study.
Unexpectedly, the place I came to was this lotus pond.
Seeing that the lotus pond looked familiar, Zhongli Ruoshui also seemed to be stunned for a moment, because there were no lotus flowers in this lotus pond, and it was difficult to see even a single intact lotus leaf.
It is almost exactly the same as the lotus pond in Huaxi Bieyuan.
Continue along the gravel path beside the lotus pond to the west end of the lotus pond, where there is a towering banyan tree.
Li Chenan's gaze did not fall on this big-leaf banyan tree, but under the tree——
An old man sat under a tree.
The old man was wearing a coir raincoat and a bamboo hat, and was holding a fishing rod in his hand.
He is fishing!
Zhongli Ruoshui brought Li Chen'an to the old man's side, and said in a low voice, "Grandma, granddaughter brought Chen'an."
When Li Chenan heard this, he realized that this was the famous Fan Taohua!
He once thought about the scene when he first met Fan Taohua——
For example, in an elegant study room with incense burning.
For example, in a small pavilion full of flowers.
Or in a room with swords and halberds.
He never expected that Fan Taohua would squat by the lotus pond to fish in this rainy day!
I thought she was sitting, but when I got closer, I realized that she was really squatting!
When Fan Taohua heard Zhongli Ruoshui's words, she didn't raise her head, but still stared at the float.
It took a while before I put down the fishing rod in my hand, because the float was motionless and did not respond at all.
"It was blown up by your artifact yesterday."
"Many fish died."
"It is estimated that the fish that survived were also frightened."
"I fished for a long time, but not a single one."
"never mind."
She stood up slowly, and Li Chenan realized that although Fan Taohua had passed her sixtieth year, her body didn't seem to be getting shorter because of old age.
She is about 1.7 meters tall.
Without the twilight of the old man, he looks extremely capable at first glance.
Especially those eyes on that thin face!
Of course her face has been engraved with many marks by the years, but she can still see her once beautiful and moving appearance.
Her eyes are very bright.
Just like the leaves of the banyan tree washed by the autumn rain.
She does not have the majesty of the first-rank wife of the Dingguo Houfu, nor the majesty of a great master.
She was dressed in a loose gray linen dress without any accessories, like a kind-hearted old woman from a country house.
It's just that her waist is not bent, her back is not bent, and her energy is extremely vigorous.
If one word is used to describe it, Li Chenan thinks it should be white hair and loose posture!
"Hello grandma!"
Li Chenan bowed respectfully.
Fan Taohua's eyes looked at Li Chenan.
There was no seriousness on her face, but a bit of joy on the contrary.
"Haven't let you come to the Marquis Mansion in half a month, do you have any complaints in your heart?"
Li Chenan straightened up, the corner of his mouth curled up, "No, the old lady has her own reasons."
"Your wine is good."
Fan Taohua took three breaths after seeing Li Chenan, turned around and walked, Zhongli Ruoshui and Li Chenan followed behind her.
"You're a nice kid, too."
"Duke Cheng Guo came here yesterday afternoon, and Changsun Jinghong also came here not long ago. Of course, some people came here a few days ago."
"Fishing with me."
"Of course they're mostly talking about you."
Talking and walking like this, the three of them came to a small wooden house by the lake.
Fan Taohua took off the bamboo hat and coir raincoat, Li Chenan took it from her and hung it on the wall.
She sat in front of a tea table, waved to Li Chenan and Zhongli Ruoshui, her expression remained the same, "Come on, sit down, there are some things, we should have a chat."
Two people are seated.
Zhong Liruo boiled a pot of tea.
Fan Taohua's eyes fell on Li Chenan's face again, and she looked at it carefully for a moment.
"What are the chances of winning the literary competition tomorrow night?"
Li Chenan pondered for three breaths, "Eighty percent!"
Fan Taohua was a little surprised by this answer, "Eighty percent? Very good!"
"What are your plans next?"
Li Chen'an looked at Zhongli Ruoshui, and said with a smile, "Actually, before this, I just wanted to earn more money and live happily with Ruoshui for the rest of my life."
"Now this idea is also the main one. If Ruoshui wants to go back to Guangling City, I will go back with her."
"What if Ruoshui stays in Kyoto temporarily?"
"Then I will stay too."
Fan Taohua lowered her eyes, and took a teacup from the tea table, "This tea set is from Ding Kiln, and it was given to your grandfather by the current emperor!"
"Your grandfather, Li Chunfu, gave it to the old man when he resigned from office and went back to seclusion in the sixth year of Zhaohua."
"Five cups and one pot, each with a person's name engraved on the bottom."
"Your grandfather engraved it, please take good care of them."
"Now that I am old, since you have arrived in the capital, I think Cheng Guogong's idea is good."
Fan Taohua raised her head, looked at Li Chenan, and asked a very serious question
"Are you... afraid?"