RPAGF Chapter 187 A Busy Night in Huaxi Village
Chapter 187 A Busy Night in Huaxi Village
The emperor saw that she was pretty and well-behaved, so he asked, "Who is this woman?"
At that moment, Han Jingrui's heart suddenly tightened, as if an invisible big hand was tightly grasping it, making him nervous in an instant.
He knew very well that the emperor's status was extremely noble. If the emperor had any feelings for Su Panpan, then there would probably be no possibility for him and Su Panpan to be together.
At this moment, he was in a state of confusion and felt a buzzing sound in his head, as if a swarm of bees were flying around in it.
His eyes were fixed on the emperor and Su Panpan, and there was a hint of imperceptible worry in his eyes.
In his eyes, the emperor at this moment was like a ferocious eagle, and Su Panpan was the weak little white rabbit. As long as the eagle swooped down, the little white rabbit could be easily caught and disappear from his world forever.
The village head hurriedly introduced, "Your Majesty, this is Su Panpan, a villager from Huaxi Village. She is very clever and skillful, and many of the delicacies on the table were made by her own hands."
The emperor nodded slightly and said to Su Panpan, "Your craftsmanship is quite good. I like it very much."
Su Panpan originally just wanted to smile and nod in response.
"Hurry up and kneel down to express your gratitude, Panpan." Shen Ru was anxious watching from the side and couldn't help but remind her secretly.
Su Panpan quickly knelt down to express her gratitude: "Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty. It is my honor to be recognized by Your Majesty."
Han Jingrui's heart seemed to relax a little when he saw Su Panpan thank him smoothly. However, he was still like a vigilant hound, always paying attention to the movements between the emperor and Su Panpan, fearing that something else would happen that would put Su Panpan in trouble.
He prayed silently in his heart, hoping that the emperor simply admired Su Panpan's craftsmanship and did not have any other thoughts about her.
Otherwise, this will completely break the beautiful feelings that have just sprouted between him and Su Panpan.
Han Jingrui secretly clenched his fists, his knuckles turning slightly white due to the force, as if only this could calm his panicked heart a little.
He just stood there, seemingly calm on the surface, but his heart was already in turmoil, surging and full of anxiety.
The laughter and joy of everyone in the room and the situation between the emperor and Su Panpan did not last long.
Soon, there was a noise outside. It turned out that wounded soldiers were being carried into the village one after another.
The noise instantly pulled Han Jingrui out of his thoughts.
After signaling to the emperor, Han Jingrui quickly walked out of the room.
After seeing the scene before him, he returned to the house and said to the village head, "Village head, our army has traveled a long distance, and many soldiers are injured. I hope you can arrange some place for them to rest and recuperate. In addition, we need to prepare some hot meals and hot water to warm everyone up."
The village headman quickly replied, "Don't worry, General. We've already cleaned the ancestral halls, warehouses, and empty houses for the soldiers to rest. The villagers have also brought out their thick, clean quilts. We've already arranged for a few young men to slaughter the sheep. My wife and the other women in the village are also making dumplings, steamed buns, and porridge."
Gouzi and several young men were assigned to help carry the wounded. Gouzi looked at the wounded soldiers with admiration in his heart, muttering, "These soldiers are heroes. They fought for the people, and it's really heartbreaking that they got injured."
They came to a soldier with a serious leg injury. Gouzi carefully lifted one end of the stretcher and said to the villagers beside him: "Be gentle, don't hurt this soldier."
In the open space in the yard, the villagers were busy making a fire.
Uncle Wang was in charge of adding firewood. As he added firewood to the fire, he muttered, "This fire needs to burn brighter so the soldiers can stay warm."
The headman's wife Zhu Qiao and Aunt Liu were busy in the kitchen with a group of women. Some were cooking porridge, with white rice rolling in the pot and emitting hot steam; some were kneading dough for steaming buns, and their hands kept kneading the dough. After a while, they made white and plump bun doughs; some were making dumplings; and some were cutting vegetables and frying them, with the oil in the pot crackling.
It turned out that just after finishing the kneeling ceremony, the villagers quickly and methodically got busy according to the originally arranged division of labor.
After hearing the headman's reply, the emperor showed a satisfied smile on his face.
He said to the village head, "Head, your arrangements are very appropriate, thoughtful, and thorough. I am very pleased. When I return to the palace, I will definitely reward you with several acres of fertile land and a considerable amount of gold and silver to commend your contribution this time."
Upon hearing this, the village head was overwhelmed with flattery. He quickly knelt and kowtowed, saying with deep fear and trepidation, "Your Majesty is wise and wise. This is what I, a humble humble man, must do. It is my honor to be able to contribute a little to Your Majesty and the soldiers. How dare I ask for a reward? Your Majesty's grace is like the warm sunshine that shines upon the earth. I am deeply grateful."
The emperor smiled and waved his hand, signaling the headman to stand up.
At this very lively moment, the sound of horse hooves and wheels came from afar. It turned out that the prefect and the county magistrate had arrived.
They hurried all the way here, and the carriage stopped in front of the headman's house. The two men hurriedly straightened their clothes, walked quickly into the yard, and when they saw the emperor, they immediately knelt down to pay their respects.
The prefect said with a face full of guilt, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I was busy with other official business and was unable to come to greet Your Majesty the first time. I truly deserve death. Please punish me."
The magistrate also echoed and nodded repeatedly, with beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.
The emperor did not blame them, but simply raised his hand and said, "Never mind. I know you are usually very busy with official duties, and I came here out of consideration. Get up, and don't blame yourself."
The prefect and the county magistrate then stood up with a sense of relief, and then joined in the lively atmosphere.
For a time, the headman's house was bustling with people coming and going.
The soldiers were resting inside and outside the houses, enjoying the villagers' careful care; the women were going in and out of the kitchen, busy preparing various foods; the village head was chatting with the emperor, the county magistrate, the prefect and others in the main hall, with constant laughter and joy.
Slowly, the snow finally stopped.
A thick layer of snow had accumulated on the roofs, tree branches, and stone tables in the yard of the entire Huaxi Village.
The mountains in the distance are rolling and undulating, like giant silver dragons lying between heaven and earth, quietly dormant, exuding a majestic and magnificent momentum.
Under the eaves, melted snow dripped down.
As it got darker, the villagers began to light oil lamps.
The soft light shines through the window paper and door cracks, sprinkling on the snow outside the house like stars, contrasting with the white snow, adding a touch of warm gold to this silver-white world.
Inside the house, the lights illuminated the relaxed expressions of the soldiers and the busy figures of the women, making the atmosphere, which was originally a little cold due to the snow, instantly become warm.