The Female General's Little Childhood Sweetheart Chapter 4

Lu Feng ran to the door of the house in a hurry and almost ran into the little servant who came out to find her.

    The little servant was scared straight and patted his chest, and saw Lu Feng and immediately said with a suffering face, “Young master you've returned. Just now the Lord sent someone to come to find you, hurry and go.”

    Lu Feng was surprised, thinking was Xu Yu here?

    She felt unlucky just thinking about it. She finally saved enough money and sneaked out to buy a package of candied fruits and instead it was eaten by someone else. When she came back, Xu Yu was with her father saying she bullied her, this was such a bad day.

    “Mutou,” Lu Feng grabbed her personal servant who was waiting for her and walked to the side of the house while lowering her head and voice to ask: “No one came by?”

    She asked without thinking, but Mutou immediately understood, and also lowered his voice and replied: “I checked after you went out, and no one went to the Lord to tell on you.”

    Lu Feng was relieved when she heard that no one had come by to tell on her. Earlier she had been speaking with her head lowered, but now her back was straight. She held a fan in her hand and spoke with a careless tone, “Then why is my father looking for me?” 

Mutou smiled and said : “General Ji is back.”

    “Aunt is back?!” Lu Feng took a step, and then hurriedly rushed to the backyard like a gust of wind.

    When Lu Feng ran to the temple room breathlessly, her father was warmly pulling Ji Ruan.

    “Auntie!” Lu Feng shouted loudly, skipping to give Ji Ruan a hug, “I thought it would take you two days to reach here.”

    Ji Ruan's older brother was Ji Shi and grew up at the Lu residence and had a particularly good relationship with her 11 year-old niece. It can be said that Lu Feng was brought up by her.

   Ji Ruan smiled, stretched out her hand and touched Lu Feng's head, then turned back to Ji Shi: “Xiao Feng has grown a lot this year, and will catch up with me in two years.”

    Lu Feng with her tail up listened attentively to lao gao*. (*old high – a respectful term)

    Ji Shi's eyes were full of laughter, looking at Lu Feng, who had now reached Ji Ruan's shoulders. He was full of pride, but was polite to not expose her. “She doesn't eat her meals honestly. All day thinking about eating snacks, how can she grow taller. You said that she was not a boy, but why does she like to eat sweet things. I was afraid she had broken her teeth and banned her twice. She's so good, no one in the house dares to buy her candied fruits, and she went out to buy it for herself.”

With Ji Shi coming over, he couldn't help but probe Lu Feng. “You said you just went out and bought candied fruits again? It seems you have too much money.”

    Lu Feng glared at him, and said angrily, “Father, the money can't be deducted anymore!” The money was already deducted by half. If it was lesser, she would not be able to afford candied fruits.

    Ji Shi snorted, and did not let Lu Feng pa.s.s until he couldn't find anything from her hands.

    Ji Ruan watched the whole process without helping. She stared at Lu Feng with narrowed eyes: Very clever. She knows that there would be a surprise check, so hid the candied fruits first?

    Lu Feng looked bitterly and rolled her eyes ruthlessly. As soon as the candied fruits were bought, it was put into someone else's pocket, and this matter should not be mentioned any more, otherwise she couldn't control herself to beat the small crying baby wearing a red coat and s.n.a.t.c.h back the candied fruits.

    Ji Ruan reached out to touch her head, and after winking twice released her hand. Lu Feng's eyes brightened, this was a sign that Auntie would take her out to play.

    As long as she could go out, would she be worried of having no candied fruits?

    Ji Ruan only came back once a year, Ji Shi pulled her east and west and was reluctant to let her go.

    “Brother, I came back to work in the capital this time. We will spend more time talking in the future, and sister-in-law Ming will be able to stay in the capital for a few months when she returns.” Ji Ruan saw Ji Shi's surprised face and immediately explained the matter to him with a smile.

    In recent years, there were fewer wars and the frontier had been peaceful, so the emperor asked her to serve in the capital first.

    Ji Shi was happy, and he even said that the arrangement was good, and when he said it, he mentioned another thing, “You are not young. You followed your sister-in-law into the frontier to defend the country for two years, but you missed the opportunity to start a family. Now that you will be back in the capital, you shouldn't delay anymore. I'll come by in two days. After the New Year, pick a good day and I'll take care of everything.”

Upon hearing this from Ji Shi, Ji Ruan couldn't answer, and she could only stupidly say that it was up to him.

    In regards to Ji Shi's preparations, Ji Ruan did not ask, but she reminded him that her husband's position should not be too high, and it would be better if he could be a fourth-ranking official or lower. If he was a commoner's son even better.

    The two generals of the Lu family had military power in their hands. In addition, the eldest son of the Lu family was married to a minister early this year. If the Lu family didn't want to be too noticeable, it would be better for them not to marry another minister, otherwise they would provoke His Majesty fears.

    Ji Shi felt distressed, “I have made you suffer.”

    Ji Ruan laughed, “I intend to marry my husband, not to marry the family behind him. There is no hardship.”

    After hearing this, Ji Shi immediately said: “You can rest a.s.sured, I will let you choose whether you wish to marry or not, I will listen to you. It is up to you to decide on this marriage, and I will not interfere with you.”

    Ji Ruan nodded indifferently, but did not take it to heart. Her eldest brother was like her father. Ji Shi worked hard to raise her up from a young age and always let her eat and drink first.  Later, when he married into the Lu family, the siblings' days got better. She would leave the matter of marrying a husband in Ji Shi's hands, and took Lu Feng to play in the capital.

    Ji Ruan did not have to take up her post until after the new year. There was plenty of time.

    Lu Feng's purse was light, and she followed Ji Ruan to eat and drink. This day they went to watch the ball, listen to songs, and saw a fight, but Lu Feng was itching to do something.

    On the way back, Lu Feng saw the small shop at the alley, and her eyes lit up.

    How could Ji Ruan not read her mind, “It's not appropriate for us to walk around today and go back empty handed. I think they are selling pastries over there, let's pick some to go and bring back for your father to taste?”

    Lu Feng could not wait and naturally nodded. The two walked side by side to “Sweet Taste”. Ji Ruan, who had intended to buy a pastry, happened upon a scene inside.

    Inside the shop, a gentleman* who looked around 20 years-old, who seemed to be the owner of this shop, was bowing his head and wrapping pastries for a woman on the side.

(*the word used here is "langjun", which could mean lord or master but it doesn't quite fit. I couldn't think of an english equivalent, so decided to use gentleman.)

    The gentleman looked extremely remarkable. When he lowered his head, he revealed a white and slender neck, elegant like a white swan, thin shoulders, thin waist and a handsome face. He wore a used blue-green cotton coat. There was a sense of style and charm in his bones. Ji Ruan's face felt hot, her eyes uncomfortably moved away, and she glanced at the woman on the side.

    Seeing the woman's indecent eyes, Ji Ruan naturally knew that she was staring at the gentleman with dirty thoughts. She suddenly felt uncomfortable.

    Ji Ruan watched the woman reach out to touch the gentleman, who was concentrating on wrapping the pastry, when she stretched out her hand, Ji Ruan strode forward and grasped the woman's wrists, causing the woman to feel pain.

    The movement was not small, Li Shi's head turned back in shock.

    Although Lu Feng's eyes lingered on a pile of sweets, she did not miss the scene that just happened. Her mouth was light, and she reluctantly removed her eyes from the candied fruits. The old proverb: “The toad wishing to eat swan meat*.” 

(*usually refers to wishful thinking or unrealistic aspirations)

    Looking at this scene, Li Shi knew what had happened. His eyes were slightly cold, and he unkindly said to the woman,”I don't agree with what you did. If there is such an incident again, I will report to the magistrate you tried to take liberties of an innocent man.”

    “Reporting this type of person to the authorities won't do any good,” Lu Feng suggested sincerely, “In my opinion, she ought to be beaten up so she wouldn't dare do this again.”

    Although Lu Feng's words had never been suitable, Ji Ruan thought seriously about the possibility this time.

    The woman was rubbing her wrist, her face pale, her forehead cold and sweaty, but she was unwilling to show weakness and asked: “Do you know who I am?” 

Li Shi's brows slightly knitted, his face was not obvious, but his eyes showed he was worried. 

    Lu Feng raised the corner of her mouth and smiled. “My hands itched as soon as I heard that.” She shook her arm, clenched her fist, and thrust towards the woman's stomach.

     Little overlord Lu, who swept across the West street with her pair of fists, and now unexpectedly someone dared to challenge her.

    Lu Feng was small, but she was strong. She snorted, “I want you to remember who I am. 30 West street, surnamed Lu, and don't look for the wrong gate!”

    … Ji Ruan clearly understood why people would come to the Lu residence to lodge complaints.

    When the woman heard that she had the last name of Lu on West street, her face turned pale. She closed her mouth and didn't mention who she was, but she kept asking for forgiveness and said she would never dare.

    Ji Ruan looked at her niece who was basking in the limelight, and at the same time felt a little frustrated. This should have been what she said in front of the young gentleman…

    Ji Ruan approached the woman and whispered two words of threats into her ear, released the woman and watched her stumble and run away before turning back to ask Li Shi, "Did she pester you?"

    Although Li Shi was thankful to Ji Ruan for her help, he did not intend to tell her these private matters. He smiled and shook his head and changed the topic.

    Last night, Zhang Shi was out in the wind and so today he wasn't feeling well and stayed at home and didn't come to the shop. This was why Li Shi, who had always been in the back kitchen, came out today, and the woman seeing the shop unguarded had bad intentions. Before, she asked the cold-faced man to persuade Li Shi to work for her. After that failed, she came in person and intended to humiliate and threaten Li Shi a little bit, but she was interrupted by Ji Ruan before she could do it.

    Xu Mu was watching the fire in the back kitchen waiting for the pastry in the basket to be steamed and didn't hear anything. When he came out, he saw his father talking to Ji Ruan.

    Ji Ruan's appearance had hardly changed from a few years laters, so Xu Mu recognized her at once. He hesitated a little, then thought about it, and glanced around the shop, and saw Lu Feng standing with her back to him, and shouted joyfully: “Lu Feng!”

    This voice and scene were too familiar. Lu Feng's spine went stiff, and she suddenly felt her scalp tingling. She subconsciously lifted her clothes to cover her face, with a low m.u.f.fled tone she snorted, and said unhappily without turning her head: “You have the wrong person!”

The other three in the shop: "…"

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    The author has something to say:  Little Theatre

    All the way crazy: The ghost is still there!

   Honey: Standing by a tree stump waiting for a rabbit*  ~ to catch a rabbit = ∨ =
(*Waiting idly for an opportunity/to trust to chance rather than show initiative)