NFBE Chapter 268 Dealing with Honeysuckle and Chrysanthemums
Chapter 268 Dealing with Honeysuckle and Chrysanthemums
Chapter 268 Dealing with Honeysuckle and Chrysanthemums
Tingxue, Yaoqin, and Muge walked towards the mountain path to greet Jinse and the others.
"Let's go down the mountain first." Su Nuannuan stood in front of everyone, her eyes firm and filled with unquestionable authority. She raised her voice and clearly gave the order. These brief words, like a clarion call, instantly roused everyone to action.
Fortunately, they were not far from the foot of the mountain, and after getting ready, they began to descend.
A group of people quickly came down from the mountain, and when their feet finally touched the flat land at the foot of the mountain, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
Canglan Jingcheng and Canglan Jingyun stood at the foot of the mountain, their eyes revealing a hint of reluctance. They frequently turned back to look at the majestic mountain behind them. Canglan Jingcheng frowned, his lips slightly pouting, and muttered softly, "I haven't hunted anything yet!" His tone was full of regret, as if the mountain held countless unconquered prey.
Seeing his fifth brother so dejected, Crown Prince Canglan Jingyun, who was standing beside him, quickly reached out and gently patted his shoulder, comforting him gently, "Fifth brother, I didn't catch anything either. We'll hunt again next time we go into the mountains."
"That's all we can do. But Aunt Jinse is really amazing; she managed to hunt two big wild boars." Canglan Jingcheng's tone was initially low, as if he was still immersed in the regret of not being able to hunt, but then his tone suddenly became cheerful, and his eyes sparkled with admiration for Jinse. He seemed to already see Aunt Jinse hunting wild boars with her heroic figure, and his heart was filled with envy.
Canglan Jingyao stood to the side, her face showing no reluctance. After all, she occasionally went up the mountain to gather herbs with Master Muge. For her, hunting in the mountains was just a matter of course; that forest was as familiar as her own backyard. Her eyes revealed a calmness, as if she had long been accustomed to it all.
After a short rest, the group set off again. They followed the mountain path towards the manor. Soon, Su Nuannuan and the others returned safely to the manor.
When Li Quan, Granny Jin, and Granny Ru, who were left behind in the village, saw them return, they all went forward to greet them.
Back at the manor, Granny Song immediately began making arrangements. She quickly dispatched two open-top carriages, their shafts gleaming and wheels shimmering in the sunlight. The drivers, all strong and robust men, spurred their horses on at Granny Song's command and galloped down the mountain. They all knew that their mission was to bring back the hunted wild boar, a major event for the manor.
This trip into the mountains was actually quite thrilling, but thankfully safe.
"You all wash up and rest for a while. Come and watch the fun when the wild boars come back later," Su Nuannuan said gently to the three children.
Upon hearing this, the three children's eyes sparkled with excitement. They nodded vigorously and, like three joyful little deer, skipped and hopped away.
Then, under the arrangement of Granny Jin and Granny Ru, the three of them quickly finished washing up.
Under their attentive care, the three children not only washed away the dust and fatigue, but also changed into clean clothes. The fabric of the clothes was very soft, and it felt like being gently wrapped in clouds, making them feel incredibly comfortable.
With Zhixiang's help, Su Nuannuan began to wash up. Zhixiang was a skillful maid, her movements gentle and practiced. She first gently untied Su Nuannuan's hair, her long, black, and lustrous hair cascading down like a waterfall. Then, she dampened a handkerchief with warm water and handed it to Su Nuannuan. After Su Nuannuan finished wiping her face, she dampened and wrung out the handkerchief again.
After washing up, Zhixiang took out a clean horse-face skirt from the wardrobe. The skirt was made of dark green brocade, with bamboo patterns embroidered in silver thread, which shimmered with a charming luster in the sunlight.
Next, Zhixiang picked up a comb and carefully styled Su Nuannuan's hair into a bun. Her fingers moved through Su Nuannuan's hair like a nimble butterfly, and in no time, an exquisite bun was finished.
Sitting in front of the dressing table, Su Nuannuan finally felt truly alive again. Back in the mountains, although she appeared calm on the surface, it was just a facade. Deep down, she was filled with fear, especially being carried around in the trees – a truly unpleasant experience for someone with a fear of heights.
Now, sitting in this cozy room, looking at her radiant reflection in the mirror, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
After Zhixiang helped her comb her hair and do her makeup, Su Nuannuan walked lightly into the courtyard. There was a bamboo basket in the courtyard. Su Nuannuan gently squatted down and took out a cloth bag containing honeysuckle and chrysanthemums from the basket.
The bag was made of coarse cloth, embroidered with simple patterns. When the bag was opened, a faint fragrance wafted out, and honeysuckle and chrysanthemums lay quietly inside, as if telling their stories in the mountains and forests.
Seeing that the Empress was already preparing to process the honeysuckle and chrysanthemums, Zhixiang quickly rushed into the kitchen like a nimble little squirrel. In the corner of the kitchen, four large wooden basins were neatly arranged. Zhixiang firmly grasped the edges of the basins with both hands and quickly moved them all to the yard.
Then Su Nuannuan and Zhixiang poured the honeysuckle and chrysanthemums they had picked into large wooden basins. The golden honeysuckle and the white chrysanthemums, tinged with pale yellow, were scattered like stars in the basins, emitting a faint fragrance. Zhixiang then turned and ran to a corner of the room, bringing over two small stools. She gently placed one of the stools next to the Empress, smiling as she said, "Your Majesty, please sit here and choose." She then sat down in front of the other basin.
After the two sat down, they began to focus on picking out leaves and other debris mixed in with the honeysuckle and chrysanthemums. Zhixiang's hands moved like nimble butterflies, darting among the flowers and quickly and accurately picking out the leaves and impurities.
Time slipped away quietly as they focused on their selection. After about half an hour, the sound of a carriage wheel rolling came from afar. Su Nuannuan and her group had just finished processing the honeysuckle and chrysanthemums when they looked up and saw a carriage carrying two wild boars slowly driving into the village. The carriage was slightly slumped under the weight, and the wheels left deep ruts on the ground.
Canglan Jingcheng and Canglan Jingyun were sitting idly in the room when they heard the sound of the carriage. As if hearing a battle horn, they jumped up from their chairs and rushed out of the room. Their hurried steps caused their clothes to flutter in the wind. Canglan Jingyao, who had been quietly gazing out the window at her own room, also stepped out with light, graceful movements upon hearing the commotion.