met free Chapter 180 Tangyuan (Sweet Rice Balls), Symbolizing Reunion
Chapter 180 Tangyuan (Sweet Rice Balls), Symbolizing Reunion
A loud thud came from the bathroom.
Gu Zongci was startled: "Your Highness, are you alright?"
The Prince of Zhenbei's voice was somewhat rough: "Something has come up."
Gu Zongci thought about how the Prince of Zhenbei had barely slept since rushing back from the northern border, and then immediately went to the palace to pay homage to Emperor Jing'an upon arriving in the capital. Could it be that his excitement at hearing that his daughter had come looking for him had caused him to fall ill?
Several bad thoughts flashed through his mind as he was about to rush into the bathroom.
"Have someone bring two more buckets of water; this little bit isn't even enough for me to wash my feet."
"..."
Gu Zongci clenched his fists at his sides. If he weren't outmatched, he would have loved to punch him twice.
He said sternly, "Manman is the most talented woman in the capital, surrounded by delicate young ladies and refined scholars. Don't be as rude as you were in the military camp and scare her."
Gu Zongci didn't want to stay here for even a moment. He gave this advice and hurried off to see Shen Qingtan.
When the Prince of Zhenbei heard Gu Zongci's departing footsteps, his heart followed Gu Zongci away.
Thinking of Gu Zongci's words, the Prince of Zhenbei saw a horsehair brush on the basin stand, threw down the towel in his hand, picked up the brush and scrubbed himself all over.
He washed himself in three buckets of water, then smelled his arms. There was no unpleasant odor. He took down a black robe that was prepared nearby. He paused, put it back, and rummaged through the trunk to find another set of clothes, which he put on properly.
He sat in front of the bronze mirror, holding a comb, and neatly combed his hair, then specially chose a jade crown to wear.
After dressing up, he looked into the bronze mirror and saw a man with thick eyebrows, a pair of fierce and piercing eyes, and a messy, unkempt beard that made him look particularly fierce.
It was his first time dressing as a scholar, and he felt completely out of place; everything about him looked awkward. Moreover, the attire clashed terribly with his face, making him look like a mischievous monkey in clothes—a rather incongruous sight.
He tugged at the wide sleeves, trying to pull them down and put on the narrow sleeves he usually wore, whatever was more comfortable.
But when he thought of his daughter waiting for him in the teahouse, his heart was torn in two. One part wanted to see her as soon as possible, while the other was afraid that his appearance would frighten her.
He frowned, pulled a dagger from his sleeve, trimmed his beard neatly, and then eagerly headed to the tea room.
As he stepped inside, his heart grew increasingly uneasy, fearing that something he hadn't done properly might leave a bad impression on his daughter.
He hesitated for a moment, then withdrew his foot from the stone steps and went to the water vat next to him, where a delicate water lily was growing.
Looking down, he saw his serious face reflected in the water. He pressed two index fingers to the corners of his mouth, pulling them upwards into a smile. He stared at it for a while, keeping the smile on his lips, before stepping into the tea room.
Gu Zongci was the only person in the tea room; there was no one else in sight.
His expression froze on his face: "Where's Manman?"
Gu Zongci's expression turned strange when he saw the Prince of Zhenbei's completely new attire. This man never dressed properly on ordinary days; even when wearing a round-necked robe, he would lift the hem and tuck it into his belt, tightly binding the sleeves and calves for convenience.
Having known him for decades, this was the first time I had ever seen him wearing a jade crown.
The Prince of Zhenbei lived a very rough life, while his sister lived a very refined life. He couldn't understand why his sister would fall for a barbarian no matter how hard he tried.
Until this moment, when he saw the Prince of Zhenbei dressed up carefully to see his daughter because of his words, he suddenly understood.
He took a sip of tea: "Manman had something to do, so she went back first."
The Prince of Zhenbei felt the ground beneath his feet collapse, and he began to fall.
He strode out of the tea room, pushed open the courtyard gate, and was met with a burst of bright white light.
"Father, this cake is called 'Victory Cake.' Mother says eating this will bring victory in battle."
A delicate little girl stood in front of him, holding a box high in her hands. Inside the box were pieces of snow-white, soft, and sticky rice cakes.
[Daddy, when you come back, Manman will bring you some glutinous rice balls.]
Mother said eating tangyuan (sweet rice balls) symbolizes family reunion.
Manman wants to eat tangyuan (sweet rice balls), and we'll eat them together when Daddy comes home. We need to be a family reunion; not one of us can be missing!
The image of seeing my daughter for the last time before I went to war fourteen years ago flashed before my eyes.
The Prince of Zhenbei's eyes were red-rimmed. He lowered his head and saw a young girl holding a bowl in both hands, raising it in front of him. Inside the bowl were round, plump glutinous rice balls.
Shen Qingtan looked at the middle-aged man in front of her with clear eyes. He was wearing a light blue cross-collar, wide-sleeved, straight-cut dress, a jade crown on his head, and had a refined beard.
His scholarly attire clashed sharply with his resolute and handsome face and imposing aura.
Gu Zongci's words flashed through her mind: "Manman, your father is a military man. The army camp is full of men who are used to being casual and undisciplined, unlike the civil officials in the capital. Don't be fooled by his rough appearance; he is actually very meticulous and remembers every word his family says."
“When you were little, you glanced at the lion cat a few times and hugged your father’s neck, saying you liked cats. He asked around to find out where there were lion cats and personally went to the border of Liangzhou to bring one back.”
"That lion cat, you named it Tangyuan, and they took good care of it until its lifespan ended, and then they buried it."
Shen Qingtan was touched and realized that the Prince of Zhenbei had dressed up specially to see her.
Before coming to the Gu residence, she felt somewhat timid and at a loss.
Although they are her biological parents, she has never met them and they are strangers to her. She doesn't know how to get along with them.
Compared to their feelings for her, she feared that her unfamiliarity would hurt their feelings.
But when he actually saw the Prince of Zhenbei, he saw this tough guy, who was agile and brave on the battlefield and invincible, with tears in his eyes when facing his own daughter.
The initial awkwardness and unease dissipated, and she became much more at ease.
Shen Qingtan held the bowl with both hands and offered it to him: "My uncle told me that you like sesame-filled glutinous rice balls. I made these myself, would you like to try them?"
The Prince of Zhenbei looked down at her bright smiling face, her eyes crinkling with joy, just like her mother's.
His throat was blocked, and he dared not make a sound, for fear that the scene before him was a figment of his imagination.
He slowly raised his hand, his rough fingers gently touching the porcelain bowl. The warmth of the white porcelain bowl transferred to his fingers, so real.
Unlike many times when he reached out to catch the glutinous rice ball, only to find his hand empty.
Prince Zhenbei cherished the warmth of the porcelain bowl. He held the bowl in both hands, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Alright, I'll try it."
Fourteen years later, he finally received the glutinous rice balls that Manman had sent him.