by N/A
"Uncle Qiao Er? I'll go ask." Du Xiao Li said, and immediately went to find Qiao Er, throwing Han Ming Yi and Ji Liu Feng to one side.
Leng Er returned to Han Ming Yi's side and said in puzzlement, "What does that girl want to do?"
"Follow her for a look and you'll know." Ji Liu Feng waved his fan and said.
Han Ming Yi didn't say anything, but already lifted his foot and followed after her.
Du Xiao Li found Qiao Er and told him about looking for a water source, letting him take her to see if there's a place with a decent water source.
As soon as Qiao Er heard, he nodded his head in agreement. He had his hoe placed inside Du Xiao Li's house, and then took her to start searching around the mountaintop. Of course, behind them followed four curious people.
Qiao Er brought along the group and had the entire mountain explored. Lastly, he arrived at a place between the two mountains, saying: "Here. The water source here isn't very good either, but it's the best in the vicinity."
Du Xiao Li look for a moment. There were some trees growing here, different from the other places that only had grass.
"The water source here isn't particularly good, if you want to dig a pond, you might as well built a few wells." Qiao Er said, "If you want to build wells, I can also help you find some people that know how to build wells to help out."
Du Xiao Li pondered for a moment. She only wanted water. As for whether it was a pond or a well, she didn't mind either. Thus, she had had this job given to Qiao Er to do.
In days after, Qiao Er no longer went to the front of the mountain to cut weed, but instead brought some people to the mountain valley to build a well.
Seeing everything proceeding orderly, Du Xiao Li was very happy inside. Although digging pits right now is still a bit early, but idle farming times like these were rare. Furthermore, the time she estimates to transplant the tangerine trees just happens to be during busy farming season. When the time comes, there won't be this many people that'll come help her.
"Girl, we're going to go pick grapes, do you want to come along?" Early in the morning, Han Ming Yi and the others appeared in Du Xiao Li's courtyard.
Du Xiao Li was in the middle of looking at today's names, calculating how much money she needed to prepare. Just as she finished, she looked to them. She thought for a moment. It has already been several days since she's gone to pick grapes. Quite a few should have ripened in these days. Thus, she had the name list put away inside, put on her back-basket, and followed them out. When they had crossed over the mountaintop to a place where the villagers couldn't see, Ji Liu Feng suggest to fly over using qinggong. Du Xiao Li originally thought that with a body like that, Han Ming Yi was for sure like herself and didn't know how, but unexpectedly his and Ji Liu Feng's qinggong were equally matched. The two very quickly disappeared without a trace.
Leng Yi followed after, leaving behind Du Xiao Li and Leng Er.
Leng Er held onto Du Xiao Li and said, "Let's go." And then swiftly pursed after the three of them.
This was Du Xiao Li's third time being taken into the skies with qinggong by Leng Er. She sighed in her heart, thinking when there's time, she should also go learn qinggong. That way, she won't need to walk that long when going into the mountains.
Silver had already entered the mountains at dawn by itself to play. When it saw Du Xiao Li flying over from the skies, it called out towards the sky, and quickly ran after her. Not long after Du Xiao Li and the others arrived, it also arrived. As soon as it saw Du Xiao Li, it bit onto her trouser leg, whimpering at her.
Du Xiao Li patted Silver's head, and afterwards, had it picked up, saying: "I won't abandon you, don't worry, don't worry."
"This wolf of yours sure is reliant of you." Ji Liu Feng said with a smile.
"I think it might have once been abandoned before, that's probably why it's like this." Du Xiao Li said. Isn't it said that wolves lived in packs? At the time when she found it, it was all alone.
Although Silver was very reliant of her, it still had the necessary wildness. That's why she felt it was fine like this.
"Didn't come for a few days, and already this many matured. We probably won't be able to finish eating, but such a shame for it to spoil." Ji Liu Feng looked to the clusters of deep purple grapes on the grape trees, and said regrettably.
Du Xiao Li also didn't expect that this many would mature in just a few days. However, she rather didn't feel that sorry, instead saying, "If we can't finish eating, then just use it to make grape wine."
"Grape wine? What kind of wine is that?" Ji Liu Feng asked.
"Wine made from fermented grapes, that wine's color is red, like cornelian." Du Xiao Li explained.
"Like the red wine made from the western regions?"
"What's western region's red wine like? I only know that these unfinished grapes can be used to make grape wine." Du Xiao Li said.
"You know how?" Han Ming Yi asked.
"I know how to do it." Du Xiao Li answered.
They all began working, plucking down all the ripe grapes, and surprisingly, filled an entire basket full. Immediately after, Ji Liu Feng urged them to quickly go back to let Du Xiao Li make grape wine.
Ch. 031 – Fermenting Grape Wine
Fermenting Grape Wine
T/N: Chapter (3/3) sponsored by Madam Daim! Thank you so much for sponsoring!! (｡･ω･｡)ﾉ♡
Du Xiao Li and the others had just returned home, when Ji Liu Feng made Du Xiao Li quickly go make the grape wine, letting him broaden his horizon. But before the grapes were even done washing, Han Ming Yi's twitching symptoms acted up again.
Although the symptoms this time didn't last as long, Han Ming Yi's complexion still became deathly pale. Consequently, everyone all lost the mood. Ji Liu Feng directly carried Han Ming Yi on his back and flew back to Niu Jing's house.
"What's wrong?" Niu Jing saw Ji Liu Feng carry Han Ming Yi back and immediately became tense, asking: "Did young master's disease act up again?"
"Yes." Ji Liu Feng had Han Ming Yi carried over to the guifei couch, before placing him down.
Niu Jing hurriedly took Han Ming Yi's pulse, discovering that he was mostly fine. Everyone finally relaxed.
"When can Ming Yi's disease be completely cured?" Ji Liu Feng looked to Han Ming Yi's weakened appearance and anxiously asked.
"When once the five color fruit matures." Niu Jing said.
"Then when will that five color fruit finally mature?" Ji Liu Feng asked.
"After autumn." Niu Jing replied.
"Liu Feng, I'm fine." Han Ming Yi said, "This many years have already passed, would I still care about this bit of time? Don't be impatient."
"But.....ai!" Ji Liu Feng knew that it was useless for him to worry. He sat his butt down on the stool nearby, deeply sighing.
Du Xiao Li saw Ji Liu Feng hastily take Han Ming Yi away, and could only wash the grapes herself. Using a clean bamboo basket, she had the water drained, and then placed all of it into a clean basin. Afterwards, she washed her hands clean, and had those grapes all crushed, squeezing out the juices. Right after, she put in white sugar according to the given proportion. Then she found a jar to store it.
"Phew---" Although it looked very simple, but from selecting the grapes to the final step, Du Xiao Li had spent an hour or so of time. Looking to the purple skin and green pulp, she contently had the jar sealed up.
Soon after, she went out again to look around, discovering that this mountaintop was already mostly fixed up. In her heart, she sighed. As expected, the more people, the greater the power.
Looking at the blistering hot weather, Du Xiao Li went back and boiled a big pot of water, letting Shi Er help carry up the mountain, while she herself followed behind with some bowls.
"Xiao Li boiled some water for everyone. Anyone who wants to drink water can all come over." Shi Er placed down the pot and said to the working villagers.
Those villagers were indeed a bit thirsty and successively went to pour a bowl to drink
.
"This weather sure is hot!" Someone said with a sigh.
"Right! This sun is getting more and more poisonous." Someone else added.
"It hasn't even entered the seventh month and it's already this hot. Looks like, this year will be hot for a long time!"
After finishing the water, everyone continued working again, striving to quickly help Du Xiao Li develop this mountain.
Everyone came to work for Du Xiao Li. A part of the reason was because the money she gave was high, and another part of the reason was because they found the siblings pitiful, especially with Du Xiu Heng having gone to the county seat to study, leaving Du Xiao Li alone at home. Everyone all wanted to help out.
At noon, Du Xiao Li told the villagers to go back. The sun was too big. If they worked any longer, she was afraid they'd get a heatstroke.
She simply ate her lunch and rested for a while. She also took out the medical books she borrowed and read for a while, and couldn't help but sigh to herself inside. Right now, reading was probably the only form entertainment left.
In the afternoon, after the villagers came back to work, Du Xiao Li boiled another big pot of water for them, even saying to Shi Er's wife that if the water runs out, trouble her to go boil another pot. After taking care of everything, she finally put on her back-basket and headed to Niu Jing's house with Silver.
"Girl, come to deliver medical ingredients again?" Leng Er saw Du Xiao Li and warmly called out.
"That's right, and also bring you all the grapes from this morning." Du Xiao Li placed down her back-basket and took out a few large bunches of grapes, handing them to Leng Er. Then she turned around and had the medical ingredients poured into the wicker basket.
"Awoo--"
Silver saw the grapes and circled around Leng Er, jumping up and down. Leng Er plucked two to give to Silver. Du Xiao Li saw and said, "Don't give it anymore, I gave it quite a lot to eat at home."
Ji Liu Feng came out from the house, saw Du Xiao Li and asked, "You finished fermenting the grape wine?"
Du Xiao Li nodded her head and said, "Right now the weather is hot. Probably in about twenty some days, it'll be ready. When the time comes. you all can just come drink."
"Really a shame, I really wanted to see how the grape wine you speak of is fermented." Ji Liu Feng said regrettably.
I don't think it's regrettable! Du Xiao Li inwardly muttered to herself.
"This is the grapes you all picked this morning?" Niu Jing saw the grapes that Leng Er had washed, picked up one and placed in his mouth.
Right now, everyone all liked to eat grapes, even Han Ming Yi was fond of it.
"Yes, a lot of grapes had matured, so we picked a lot today. I had the remaining fermented into grape wine. Later when it's ready, I'll bring some for you to taste." Du Xiao Li said.
"Alright." Niu Jing replied with a laugh.
"Oh right, grandpa Niu, this morning I saw big brother Yi have an attack again. Lately, has his disease been acting up a lot?" Du Xiao Li asked.
"Much less compared to before." Niu Jing answered.
"Seems eating lots of millets, corn, green vegetables, celery, beef liver, chicken and whatnot is good for people with the twitching disease. Yep, and fruits like apples, grapes, and so on are also good." Du Xiao Li said.
"Oh? Later, I'll give young master some to try." Niu Jing thoughtfully looked to Du Xiao Li and said.
Du Xiao Li sweetly smiled and said, "Eating lots of green vegetables is very good. Grandpa Niu can also eat a bit more!"
"En, I will give young master more of those to eat." Niu Jing said.
"Then I'm going to go look for Leng Er." Du Xiao Li said, then turned and left, off to find Leng Er.
Han Ming Yi was currently reading inside the house. Hearing Du Xiao Li's words, he had the book placed on his own pair of legs.
"Leng Er, I have something, want to find you...."Du Xiao Li came to Leng Er's side and mumbled.
Leng Er looked to Du Xiao Li in surprise, saying: "Speaking so hesitantly, this isn't like you. If there's something just say it."
"Um that, can you teach me qinggong?" Du Xiao Li didn't know if there were rules of not teaching martial arts to outsiders here, and didn't know if Leng Er would be willing to teach herself.
"You want to learn qinggong?" Leng Er asked, somewhat surprised.
"Can't I?" Du Xiao Li said, somewhat dejectedly.
"It's not that you can't, just, need to have young master to agree to this." Leng Er explained.
"Need to have him agree......"Du Xiao Li suddenly felt that her thoughts were a bit too optimistic. In this current society, not everyone had freedom.
Han Ming Yi came from inside the house and looked to Leng Er and Du Xiao Li.
"Young maser, she...." Leng Er saw Han Ming Yi and said.
"Do as you please." Han Ming Yi said. Leng Yi had the guifei couch moved out, and he laid back on.
Ji Liu Feng looked to Du Xiao Li and said, "Why aren't you letting Ming Yi teach you? His martial arts is much better than Leng Er's."
"Him? A twelve year old little kid?" Du Xiao Li said in disbelief.
Han Ming Yi frowned, a twelve year old little kid?
"Even if he's very impressive, I wouldn't dare to let him teach me either." Du Xiao Li continued.
"Why?"
Du Xiao Li glanced to Han Ming Yi and said, "Look at him, anyone with eyes can tell he's wealthy and noble. A little village girl like me dare to let him teach me?"
After that, she casted a glance at Ji Liu Feng, aren't you also the same?
Ch. 032 – She's Useless at Martial Arts?
She's Useless at Martial Arts?
T/N: Chapter sponsored by MajorQuinn! Thank you for sponsoring! We're actually halfway through the first volume/arc of the novel.
Although Du Xiao Li said she wanted to learn qinggong from Leng Er, but Leng Er and the others all thought she was just saying, and didn't put it to heart much. After all, right now, she was still just a seven year old small child, precisely the time where one is curious about everything, yet didn't have the patience.
And most importantly, in this era, there weren't that many women that practice martial arts. Normally, when they reaches marriageable age, they will find someone to marry. In order to be able to find a good husband, those girls all did their best to learn the four arts that men liked. Even an ordinary family's daughter who didn't have the conditions to learn these would also take up embroidery and whatnot.
Ji Liu Feng's younger sister, Jiu Liu Xia, because was born in a martial family and has been fond of martial arts since young, did not excel in any of the four arts, but rather learned a body of martial arts. However, in the capital, this seems very eccentric, and she doesn't get along too well with ordinary daughters of officials.
"Haha, seeing how you're normally really weird, thought that you could do anything. Looks like, you really aren't suited for martial arts! My younger sister learned for two days and could already take big strides, yet you don't even know how to walk in a straight line one foot after the other." Ji Liu Feng saw how Du Xiao Li still couldn't get the gist of qinggong no matter what, even falling on her butt several times, and laughed himself silly to the side.
Du Xiao Li was also very depressed. She'd already study with Leng Er for several days now, but she just couldn't grasp qinggong's most basic foundations. Leng Er was already about to be driven insane by her. She thought, perhaps it's because the concept of gravity from her past life was too deep in her mind, that's why right now she was unable turn the corner.
(T/N: I choked on water when I read this line. I feel like I shouldn't have laughed as hard as I did at the author's attempt to logic.)
Niu Jing saw Du Xiao Li's appearance and was also amused. Hearing Ji Liu Feng's words, he said, "Li girl don't be discouraged either. Even if you don't have the talent to learn marital arts, having skills in other aspects is also not bad. Besides, it's still a bit better for girls to be gentle and quiet. So that in the future, one can
find a good husband."
Du Xiao Li didn't feel that she doesn't have the talent in martial arts. Else, in her past life, she wouldn't have become someone of the assassin world either. Right now, she was just obstructed by her subconscious mind. She crawled up from the ground, patted the dust on her, and found a stool to sit down, saying: "I don't want to marry! How boring is marrying."
"Men grow up to take a wife, and women grow up to marry. How come you say it's boring?" Ji Liu Feng waved his fan and said with a laugh.
Du Xiao Li casted a glance at Ji Liu Feng. Seeing that frivolous look of his, pursed her lips, saying: "One is so free and leisure before marrying, but after marrying, everything needs to revolve around one's own husband and mother-in-law. Obey the husband after marrying and whatnot, tsk tsk. If two people are genuinely in love, for the sake of one's beloved, restraining oneself a bit, can still be accepted. But the most unbearable is when men can have wives and concubines, with one's wife still at home, yet frivolously floating around outside. And women? Give another man an extra glance and it's 'not abiding by the rules of married women'. And if there's really an adultery, then they'll get drowned in a pig's cage. Look, how unfair is this?"
"Since ancient times, obeying the father at home, and obeying the husband when married, this is the heaven's law and earth's principles. Furthermore, men having three wives, and four concubines, is something very normal. Where are there men that watch over one wife." Ji Liu Feng said.
(T/N: It always gets glossed over, but peasants usually only have one wife; the multiple wives thing in ancient times is purely for aristocrats and rich people who could afford having multiple wives.)
"That's why I said getting married is boring! It's better to just live alone!" Du Xiao Li said.
"When girls grow up, they'll always need to marry." Niu Jing said while drying the medical herbs.
"When you grow up, what kind of person will you marry?" Ji Liu Feng followed along Niu Jing's words and asked.