I pulled his head into my embrace. Hot tears rolled down my face, feeling itchy. Something in my heart slowly expanded, swelling painfully in my chest.
“Brother Jin, we’ll never separate in this lifetime.”
An Jin nodded slightly in my arms. “Silly Ah Yao. Even if you try to drive me away, I won’t leave.”
The storm subsided.
Note: The removed content could potentially be used later in the story to introduce a plot twist or conflict, but in this context, it seems out of place and disrupts the emotional intimacy between the characters.
If we tried hard, there might still be hope.
However, I understood that the An family was already weak in producing offspring, and with the added Juezi wine, the chances were slim. But no matter how slim, we wouldn’t give up. During that time, the kitchen often smelled of seahorse chicken soup. An Jin tried hard, and I worked hard too, trying every possible position, but I still couldn’t get pregnant. As time passed, our anxious desire gradually faded, and we decided to let nature take its course.
As for the true reason behind the Qi Emperor’s actions, I sensed it would be a secret hundreds of times more significant than An Jin’s previous investigation into the whereabouts of Princess Nan Rui. Pursuing this secret might disrupt our current peace, so we temporarily chose to ignore it. I also advised An Jin to find an opportunity to resign and leave Yanfeng. An Jin hinted he had been planning this.
The Emperor’s actions had deeply hurt my original reverence for the Qi royal family. I slightly modified the novel manuscript stored with Chen Hua’s puppet and secretly had him distribute it as a hand-copied novel. This illustrated manuscript was later adapted by folk artists into a play called “Beating the Mandarin Ducks,” which became extremely popular.
This one failed to result in a successful marriage, and we had secretly formed a grudge with the royal family. Therefore, when my elder brother anxiously came to find me, saying that Miao Yin had disappeared and no longer came to the Hanlin Academy, I was not surprised at all.
I suppose the empress discovered the affection between her and my elder brother and did not want her to have any further entanglement with our family, so she placed her under house arrest. My elder brother, unaware of her identity and the recent difficulties, thought she had left abruptly due to some urgent family matter.
I felt somewhat sympathetic. Rationally, I should have taken this opportunity to advise my elder brother to forget about Miao Yin and avoid any further connection with the royal family. But—I have never been particularly rational.
After learning Miao Yin’s identity, my elder brother remained silent for a while. I knew what he was thinking. He was merely a small scribe, while Miao Yin was the empress’s niece. The difference in status made it extremely difficult for him to marry her.
In fact, it was not originally so difficult, but with the grudge we had formed with the royal family, it became as challenging as ascending to heaven.
“Perhaps…” I tentatively asked him. “Perhaps we should look for another young lady—”
“I understand, I know,” my elder brother said, looking somewhat dazed.
Removed the part about cooking as it did not contribute to the plot or main theme.
“But—”
“I know,” my brother laughed, his eyes beneath his thick eyebrows looking like they were covered in a layer of gray. “What would you like to eat? Four Happiness Meatballs, Eight Treasures tofu, or silver fish egg stew?”
“I—” I was stunned. My brother was not acting normally.
“I know,” he stood up, stumbling slightly as he walked out. “Going to cook.”
“Elder brother!” I finally called out loudly. “This is An’s home.”
He suddenly realized, embarrassedly laughing, “Look at my memory, I actually forgot this isn’t our home. Little sister, remember to visit home often. Elder brother is leaving now!”
I worriedly saw him off and watched him enter our parents’ home before feeling slightly relieved. Soon after, my younger sister came running to An’s home, saying that our elder brother was causing a commotion in the kitchen and had already prepared eighteen dishes.
I hurried back with her. Our parents stood at the kitchen door, looking helpless. Seeing me return, they looked at me as if I were their savior. “A Yao, what’s wrong with your elder brother?” Mother pointed at the bustling stove and my brother’s busy back. “He’s cooked enough rice, vegetables, and meat to last half a month.”
My elder brother, sweating profusely, was carefully carving a peony flower on a white radish, completely focused.
I sighed inwardly and led our parents and younger sister away. “Let him cook.”
That night, our family ate the most luxurious meal of our lives. My elder brother brought out a jar of Bamboo Leaf Green wine, drank two cups before collapsing, and fell asleep on the table, occasionally mumbling Miao Yin’s name.
Our parents looked confused, and my younger sister asked curiously, “To win? Is elder brother practicing to participate in a cooking competition?”
I forced a smile. “Maybe.”
The royal families of the three countries quickly determined the details of the competition, agreeing to hold it in the late spring and early summer in Yanfeng City, with the events and format consistent with tradition.
The new emperor of Xiliang stated that he would escort the Qi country’s third prince, Xia Zhichun, who had been a hostage in Xiliang, back to his home country. Naturally, the entire Qi country was jubilant. The Qi Emperor announced that all citizens could participate in the selection, and those who could win first place in individual events could choose their own rewards.
Anjin and I both believed this was a heaven-sent opportunity.
If we could help our elder brother win a championship in an event, he could then propose to Xue Miaoyin to the Qi Emperor. No matter how reluctant the Emperor and Empress were, they would not refuse in front of Xiliang and Nanrui, lest they lose face for the great Qi country.
I brought the competition roster home and pulled my elder brother out of the kitchen. He was covered in the smell of smoke, his eyes bloodshot, unshaven, with a sparse beard hanging from his chin, looking utterly dejected. After hearing about the competition, his eyes briefly brightened before dimming again, shaking his head in despair. “No, I can only cook, how could I compete?”
“There are two months until the competition; we can train intensively,” Anjin advised.
“Brother-in-law is right,” my younger sister spread out the competition roster, laying out each event. Having recently learned about our elder brother’s situation with Xue Miaoyin, she wanted to join our efforts to help him win his future wife. “Elder brother, if you miss this opportunity, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”
“But…” my elder brother was still hesitating. “I really don’t know which event I could participate in.”
“Let’s go through them one by one,” I picked up a roster. “Gambling is out, not something you can master quickly.”
“No, no,” my elder brother shook his head vigorously. “You know I’m not good at riding horses.”
“Lifting weights?”
“Lifting weights? Although my brother has decent strength, it’s only good for chopping vegetables and firewood. I’ve heard Nanrui has many strong men, so he’d definitely be at a disadvantage,” my younger sister objected.
I tossed it aside. “What about this? Speed walking.”
My elder brother still shook his head. “I walk slower than a Lantern Festival parade.”
“How about this,” Anjin picked up a roster. “Mechanical arts.”
