Chapter 314: The Turtle Turned Over_2
Chapter 314 -177: The Turtle Turned Over_2
When Tang Xiaotong was brewing tea, his sleeves were rolled up halfway, revealing a faint scar on his wrist.
Princess Yujia glanced at the scar and noticed his unique way of pouring tea, with the thumb pressing against the lid and the other four fingers supporting the body of the teapot, creating a graceful arc with the stream of tea.
“I learned this from noble people during the ‘Mandarin Duck Hairpin’ ceremony,” Tang Xiaotong explained with a smile, aware of Princess Yujia’s gaze, “They say this way the steam won’t damage the nails.”
He suddenly imitated the noblewomen, raising his ‘orchid fingers’ and admiring the look of new manicures, a gesture so humorous it made Princess Yujia giggle.
At that moment, she was not a princess waiting to be wed, and he was not a merchant eager to please. They were just two young individuals stealing half a day’s leisure under the crabapple tree.
After the third round of tea, Tang Xiaotong talked about last year’s experience as a peddler in Jingzhou, witnessing the process of silk collection.
“The farmer’s daughter was only fourteen, yet she could tell whether the mulberry leaves were picked at the hour of the dragon or noon…”
Princess Yujia rested her cheeks in her hands, watching the smile that spread from the corners of his eyes while he spoke.
In Turkic, men only talked about how many wolves they’ve hunted or how much loot they’ve captured. None paid attention to when the dew dried on the mulberry leaves.
“Princess, have you seen real snow?” Tang Xiaotong suddenly asked, “Not the snow mixed with gravel on the prairie, but the soft snow in Jingzhou that can break bamboo branches.”
He started drawing on the stone table with his finger dipped in tea, “Last year in Jingzhou, I opened the door one morning to see a land covered in white…”
Princess Yujia unconsciously leaned closer, able to smell the faint scent of agarwood from his collar.
At this distance, she could even see the shadow his eyelashes cast on his face.
She suddenly realized it was the first time since coming to Da Jing someone hadn’t asked about her identity, simply wanting to share a beautiful moment with her.
“Shopkeeper! In front there came a batch…”
The shout from the apprentice broke the tranquility. Tang Xiaotong stood up in resignation and apologized, but Princess Yujia stood up too: “May I go with you to take a look?”
In the shop, several porters were offloading goods wrapped in oilcloth from a cart.
The various types of silk and fabrics bought by Han Lei from the system were in high demand, and afraid of running out of stock, Tang Xiaotong thought to temporarily supplement with some common patterned silks from other cloth shops in the Capital City.
This not only enriched the variety but also catered to different customer choices.
Tang Xiaotong quickly became skilled in business affairs, walking to the door to inspect the goods. He brushed his fingertips lightly over the surface of the silks to check if there were any snags.
Yujia watched him conversing with the porters in jargon she couldn’t understand, his ease contrasting starkly with the timid attendants in the palace.
A young porter stole a glance at Princess Yujia, but Tang Xiaotong, noticing this, casually turned to block the view.
This subtle move caused a slight flutter at the tip of Princess Yujia’s heart.
It wasn’t until the sun set behind the hill that Yujia realized she had lingered too long.
Tang Xiaotong escorted her to the door, softly asking, “For tomorrow, shall I save some Drunken Immortal Brew and pickled chicken feet for you, Princess? Would you like some…”
Before he could finish, a clatter of footsteps suddenly came from around the corner of the street.
The teaching mistress led four palace maids quickly towards them, the ornaments in her hair clinking in the twilight.
Seeing the familiar figure of the teaching mistress at the street corner, Princess Yujia instinctively clutched her cloak.
“Oh no, the mistress has come looking.”
Upon hearing this, Tang Xiaotong furrowed his brows but quickly responded, murmuring in a low voice: “Apologies.”
In the next moment, Tang Xiaotong grabbed a roll of silk from the counter and abruptly shook it open, loudly saying, “Madam, look at this dark pattern, it’s most suitable for making pleated skirts…”
In a daze, Princess Yujia found herself led to the other side of the counter by him. Through the silk thin as a cicada’s wing, she saw Tang Xiaotong’s Adam’s apple moving with tension.
As the mistresses entered the shop, Tang Xiaotong was bending over measuring fabrics, cleverly using his body to shield Princess Yujia.
“Please come inside, are you looking for ready-made clothes or fabrics? Our shop just got a new batch…” Tang Xiaotong asked with a smile.
“Shopkeeper, have you seen a foreign woman wearing a Gray Wolf Pattern Cloak around?” The lead mistress spoke with a sharp tone.
Tang Xiaotong shook his head without changing his expression, while discreetly guiding Princess Yujia behind the curtain.
His palm was warm and dry, like a piece of warm jade on her wrist.
Through the gap in the curtain, Princess Yujia saw the suspicious look in the mistress’s eyes sweeping over, her heartbeat was so fast it almost leaped out of her chest.
Tang Xiaotong suddenly started coughing, using the momentum to knock over the basket of needles and thread on the counter, causing the colorful threads to roll all over the ground instantaneously.