Boarding the Boat

Jiang Danhe glanced at her and then at the rainbow casually. Rainy days were commonplace and he didn’t think that they were beautiful, but the person in front of him looked more dazzling than the rainbow.

“How beautiful! What do you think?”

Xiaoguo admired and exclaimed at the scene for a long time. She did not hear Jiang Danhe’s voice, so she asked for his opinion.

“Beautiful.”

Xiaoguo didn’t turn around. She looked at the rainbow and nodded. It was indeed beautiful.

“Beautiful.” Jiang Danhe suddenly leaned close to her ear and repeated himself.

“…” Xiaoguo smiled shyly and pretended not to hear him. She continued to admire the rainbow, but her ears betrayed her calm facade. They had gradually turned from pink to red.

Jiang Danhe even gave her a deliberate nudge, and that made Xiaoguo roll her eyes at him. Even though she was annoyed at him, he was kept amused for a long time.

—-

The next morning, Xiaoguo packed her stuff and looked around to see if she had left anything behind. When she turned around, she saw Xiao Zhu standing at the door.

“Sister Xiaoguo…”

Xiao Zhu rubbed her eyes. She knew that this was probably the last time they would see each other. She was a little reluctant to see her go. Although the other party had only stayed here for two nights, these were the two nights where she slept the most soundly. She felt incredibly at ease during her sleep.

“Xiao Zhu, when I return, I might have to stay at your house for a day. Do you remember our agreement to catch seafood together?”

Xiaoguo couldn’t stand to see the girl crying. After teasing her, she continued, “The next time we meet, I’ll introduce you to my son. He’s a four-year-old boy.”

Zhuang Zhuang had been staying with Xiaoyi all this while, and Xiao Zhu had yet to meet him. She could only introduce him to her when they returned.

When they returned, she was planning to stay At Xiao Zhu’s place for another day with Zhuang Zhuang. She would take the opportunity to catch some seafood and bring them back home. She had already discussed this with Jiang Danhe, and he had agreed. He would make the necessary arrangements when the time came.

“That’s great. I’ve wanted to get to know Zhuang Zhuang for a long time. You have to come back. I’ll wait for you.”

Towards the end, Xiao Zhu looked a little lonely. Looking like she had something on her mind, she seemed rather forlorn.

Seeing this, Xiaoguo walked to her side and promised that she would return. That managed to cheer Xiao Zhu up again.

All good things must come to an end. Xiao Zhu did not have the courage to send Xiaoguo to the beach to board the ship. She stood alone at the door and watched the departing figure. She muttered to herself, “You must come back…”

As expected, Xiaoguo had dressed up meticulously on this day. Besides surprising everyone, even Jiang Danhe took some time to recover from his shock. As she had only dressed up after dinner, he did not expect Xiaoguo to turn up at the beach looking so beautiful.

She had personally sewn the simple but fairy-like outfit. The design was referenced from an ancient dress that she had seen from somewhere. The hem of the dress swayed with every step she took. The pastel pink and blue shades on her dress, matched with the little white flowers make for a pretty sight. She was definitely the star among the crowd.

The most eye-catching thing about her was her hair that was tied into a bun. It was neat and elegant, unlike the other women’s hairdos that looked boring and old-fashioned. For some reason, the hairstyle looked very good on her.

Coupled with a simple jade hairpin and ruby earrings, she looked elegant, natural, energetic and beautiful.

This was the first time Jiang Danhe had seen Xiaoguo style her hair into a proper woman’s bun. He didn’t expect her to look so pretty.

Zhuang Zhuang’s big eyes followed the gazes of the crowd. At a glance, he saw the figure he had been yearning for day and night. He waved his hands excitedly. Due to the fact that there were many people around, he did not call out loudly. Instead, he called out to Xiaoguo silently in his heart.

Perhaps due to their telepathic connection as mother and son, Xiaoguo saw Zhuang Zhuang waving at her at a glance. She raised her arms and waved back at him.

Her slightly loose sleeves revealed her fair and unblemished skin when she raised her arm. She was also wearing a jade bracelet on her wrist. The combination of the two colors were strikingly beautiful and it attracted a lot of attention from the people around them.

The men were interested in her, but when they saw her hairstyle, they became unsure about her identity. Some women who were envious of her looks hid their jealousy and secretly cursed her for being a vixen. Other women tried to find out her identity and tried to get close to her. It was their intention to know more about her beauty regime and also to find out where she got her clothes from.

A small commotion came from the crowd, startling Shao Zhan, who had boarded the ship first.

At this moment, he was using a pair of binoculars to observe the situation on the sea. When he heard the voices behind him, he did not put down the binoculars. Instead, he kept them in front of his eyes while he turned around. He spotted Xiaoguo at a glance. When he got a good look at her, he was stunned by what he saw. Then, he locked his gaze on Jiang Danhe, who was standing nearby. As expected, he saw a jealous expression on the other party’s face. He could not help but snicker and put down the binoculars. This kid was truly blessed.

Hearing the emperor’s sudden laughter, the ministers beside him were confused. They looked at each other, but no one dared to ask any questions. Therefore, they only laughed along with the emperor. The scenario at that moment was very interesting indeed.

Jiang Danhe couldn’t take it anymore. Before all the men could look at Xiaoguo, he strode over. No matter how Li Shouji called out to him, he didn’t seem to hear him. He avoided the crowd and walked towards her.

Li Shouji let out a long sigh. He was so tired. Even now, he didn’t have the time to say hello to his sister-in-law. It was all Jiang Danhe’s fault. The man was busy spending time with his wife, but he had left him with a pile of work. Li Shouji had no choice. He was destined to lead a tough life…

“Are you done with your work?”

Jiang Danhe had his arms wrapped around Xiaoguo’s shoulder as he led her towards the ship. She looked at his serious expression and asked in confusion.

“No, I’ll bring you up the ship first.”

His voice was a little stiff. Xiaoguo sensed that something was wrong and looked at him strangely. What was going on?

Xiaoguo followed him onto the boat silently. When she saw Shao Zhan, she wanted to bow, but Jiang Danhe didn’t give her a chance. He brought her straight to a particularly quiet corner. “Wait for me here obediently. I’ll be right back.”

“Okay.”

Xiaoguo wasn’t a fool. How could she not understand his obvious intentions? After the man left, she snickered. It seemed that she hadn’t dressed up for nothing. The effect was surprisingly good.

On the huge passenger ship, Shao Zhan was the first to board and he stood at the bow. The ministers boarded the ship subsequently and stood behind him.

The women were arranged to be seated at the back of the ship. Xiaoguo was sitting on a stool that Jiang Danhe had brought for her. She was wearing a fisherman’s hat that covered most of her face. Holding a fishing rod with a bucket at her feet, she looked like an angler.

When other women saw her, they immediately started speculating. Was this the frivolously dressed woman whom they spotted earlier?

Without looking at her outfit, and judging by her equipment, it was within expectations for other women to avoid any contact with her. After all, the ministers who were invited to accompany the emperor on his trip to the summer resort were of high status. Their female partners which they brought along, were either their wives or concubines. With their noble statuses, they would definitely avoid close contact with a fisherman.

“She’s actually the general’s first wife?”

The woman’s tone was filled with disdain. She seemed very surprised to know that the great general’s wife was fishing here without any regard for her image. What a pity for the handsome general.

Not far away, a woman recognized the woman who spoke. She was just a lowly concubine, yet she dared to criticize the general’s wife. This woman must be tired of living.

At the thought of this, the woman said disdainfully, “Keep your mouth shut if you have nothing better to say. Don’t pollute the air.”

The woman who had spoken earlier froze for a second. It was obvious that those words were targeted at her. Since this woman was a favored concubine, she did not have a good temper. She immediately shook her sleeves and turned around, ready to retort. A sour expression was imprinted on her face instantly. But when she saw who had made the remarks, she swallowed her words unwillingly.

“Hmph.”

The woman snorted softly. At this point in time, all the women present, whether they were wives or concubines, did not dare to breathe loudly. These women who often attended such events were all very perceptive. How could they not recognize this woman?