Chapter 150: Sweet and Fragrant Red Bean Paste

Chapter 150: Sweet and Fragrant Red Bean Paste

Yu Xiaoxiao hugged her packed bag of buns on the carriage, feeling great that she had a food supply. She told Gu Xinglang, "Jing Mo's not bad, he gives us free food every time."

Gu Xinglang had no words. Just because Jing Mo had taken them out for three meals and gave them 20 some red bean buns, he was a good guy? There's no other wife like mine in this world.

Yu Xiaoxiao finished praising Jing Mo and began fretting after her Little Gu. "It's not good to have a habit of disliking sweets." Sugar was one of the most important sources of calories and carbohydrates for the human body, but this Gu fellow didn't like it? According to her understanding of anthropological theories of values, sweets were wonderful foods that could cheer people up. How could anyone dislike them? When she looked at this youth and thought of his usually smile-less face, she was certain his lack of sweets was to blame. Of course, her lack of self-awareness completely disregarded her own tendency to look wooden.

Gu Xinglang didn't want to discuss this topic any further with his wife. After getting married, they were always talking about his injury or what to eat from morning 'til night. Third Young Master Gu had never placed the meaning of life on food. Right now, his focus was on the threat of Eternal Life Temple looming above them. How was he supposed to make his wife understand this, much less talk about something besides eating?

"I've decided," Yu Xiaoxiao didn't understand her husband's suffering as she clapped her hands. "I heard Xiao Wei say that Nanpu Street1 south of the capital city has an old candy shop. They make the best pine nut candies in the city, so I want some."

"Right now?" Gu Xinglang asked.

Yu Xiaoxiao nodded. "How could people hate candy? You don't like it because you've never tried it before, so I'll treat you this time. You can eat as much as you want."

Gu Xinglang quickly shook his head. "I've tried some already."

"Then you must not have eaten enough to tell how good it was."

"Xiaoxiao, how is that possible?"

"I'm doing this for your own good," Yu Xiaoxiao rested her hand on his shoulder. "So stop struggling. Xiao Wei!"

"Princess," Xiao Wei replied from outside the carriage. He was feeling quite contrite for spilling the beans on that old candy shop to the princess. He owed the Royal Son-in-Law an apology.

"Tell big brother we're going to Nanpu Street. I'll treat him to candy," Yu Xiaoxiao said.

Actually, Eldest Young Master Gu had already heard the entire conversation while riding the horse in front of them. He wanted to laugh, but held himself back and waved his hand at Xiao Wei. "Xinglang, you have to eat pine nut candies," he told his brother inside.

Gu Xinglang couldn't help speaking against his will, "Eldest brother, let's go to Nanpu Street."

Now Yu Xiaoxiao stopped worrying over her Little Gu. See? How could there be anyone who hates sweets? That damned cur of a man used to fight people to the death for a piece of chocolate! (Your Highness Princess, that's because you would have all starved to death if the drillmaster didn't! =_=)

Faced with his wife sitting by his side, Gu Xinglang gave up with a smile. "Princess, are the meals at the palace not tasty?"

Xiao Zhuang and Xiao Wei perked up their ears. They wanted to know too.

"They're pretty good," Yu Xiaoxiao seemed to feel saliva pooling in her mouth at the thought of it. How could Fengtian's chefs cook anything subpar? "There just wasn't enough for me to eat my fill."

"You couldn't eat your fill?" Gu Xinglang had guessed as much, but he was still stunned to hear it. Did the eldest imperial princess really have to starve daily in the palace?

"If I ate too much, Wang momo would cry," Yu Xiaoxiao thought back to her days at the palace. This was a sorrowful story to tell. "Even now, I don't get it. Did Wang momo have to pay for my meals?"

"Wang momo really cried?" Gu Xinglang asked.

"Yeah, she always asked what I'd do if I made myself too fat to marry. What if the Royal Son-in-Law didn't like me? Urk, what else did she say?" Yu Xiaoxiao thought back. Wang momo had truly told her too many things about life so that the memories were all jumbled up. That annoyed her until she complained to Gu Xinglang, "Really, it was enough! Momo even worried that no one would marry me. Now I'm married, but who knows when she'll find her own man!"

Gu Xinglang had to stress, "Momo will find it difficult to marry anyone while in the palace." No matter how hungry his father-in-law was, he wouldn't set hands on the likes of Wang momo.

"Tch," Yu Xiaoxiao only hated the fact that Wang momo wasn't even trying. "There are so many guards in the palace, but she doesn't like any of them? Let me tell you, Little Gu, Wang momo is just—"

"I understand, let's not talk about this anymore," Gu Xinglang muffled Yu Xiaoxiao with his hands. We can't say any more, or Wang momo might be forced to die to prove her innocence.

Xiao Zhuang and Xiao Wei felt that the princess had gone far enough as well. If she kept prattling, what would become of their reputations as retainers of the court, too?

Yu Xiaoxiao removed Gu Xinglang's hand and asked him a serious question. "If I ate until I was chubby, will you disdain me just like the momo said? Or would you get attracted to some wild flower on the edge of the road? Actually, what's that even supposed to mean? You like little wildflowers growing on the streets or something?"

"Pfft!" Gu Xinglang couldn't stop chortling this time. Xiao Zhuang and Xiao Wei only felt that the Gu Clan guards were eyeing them like idiots. Gu Xinglang took a deep breath to control his expressions. Yu Xiaoxiao waited patiently for him to speak. Wang momo's life lessons were only halfway comprehensible to her, so she figured Gu Xinglang wouldn't get them either. After all, it was too hard for a man in the prime of his youth to understand a woman late in the years of menopause.

Gu Xinglang glanced at the streets beyond the carriage windows and just happened to spot a cluster of pale yellow wildflowers dancing in the wind and rain. He smiled and shook his head before pulling the curtains shut and drawing Yu Xiaoxiao into his arms.

Softly he said, "Don't listen to that momo. I'll like you no matter what you become."

Yu Xiaoxiao stopped feeling so irritable as her lips quirked up in a grin. "You said it yourself. If I become a fatty in the future, you have to—"

"Then I'll be a fatty too," Gu Xinglang replied, before leaning down to give Yu Xiaoxiao a peck.

Yu Xiaoxiao didn't have the habit of wearing makeup, so her face was always clean. At 13, her skin was perfectly tender and felt like delicate fat to Gu Xinglang's touch. He brushed the rosy lips without rouge, which were soft with the faint fragrance of red bean paste.