Qin Mubai, who was once an only child, was naturally happy to have a sister from the same mother out of thin air. Seeing how lively, smart, happy and carefree this little girl is, I can't help but feel the urge to protect her and love her.
"Third brother, try the little Tiansu made by my little sister, hehe!" Qin Shuang'er happily ran over and knelt down on the other side of the table, put down a plate of something like rice balls, and was delighted. Then he said proudly, "Come and try it, I've been doing it for a long time!"
Ms. Liu was smiling at the side so much that her eyes narrowed and a few crow's feet appeared at the corners, and she said: "Sanlang, when Fourth Sister heard that you were coming back, she learned the skills from the chef in the house overnight... Well, try it quickly!"
"Learned it overnight?" Qin Mubai smiled, picked up a piece of "rice ball" and looked at it carefully. It seemed that it was made by mincing some meat and then steaming it with rice; he smelled it between his nose. , it seems to have the fragrance of chicken, but with some... mutton smell.
It doesn’t smell that good…
"Eat quickly, hee hee!" Qin Shuang'er blinked her big, watery eyes and looked at Qin Mubai expectantly.
Unable to caress his sister, Qin Mubai smiled slightly and put the penis into his mouth. As soon as I entered the mouth, I felt an embarrassing and strange smell, and the fishy smell of the mutton was even more choking. My great appetite disappeared instantly, my brows furrowed, and I almost had the urge to vomit it on the spot.
This is probably... the most disgusting thing I have ever eaten in my life!
"Wow, what's your expression? Really!" Qin Shuang'er became angry, puffed her cheeks and protested with her eyes wide, "Is it delicious? Is it delicious?"
Qin Mubai glanced at his mother with a wry smile, shook his head to indicate "it's not bad", and swallowed the food in his mouth as if he was dead.
He immediately grabbed a glass of wine and swallowed it to cover the smell in his mouth. He smiled and said, "Fourth sister's craftsmanship is really good and the taste is very good."
"Haha, I knew it! I am the genius girl of our Qin family and the future number one chef in the world!" Qin Shuang'er cheered happily, raising her pink fists, and then personally picked up a whole piece and placed it on Qin Mu In Bai's bowl, he said softly with a smile and a warm voice, "Third brother, eat all these quickly. My mother and I miss you so much since you have been away from home for three years. It must be hard to be in the army, right? Take more tonic when you go home. Oh—from now on, my little sister will prepare delicious food for you every day!”
"Uh..." Qin Mubai grinned with a stiff expression and could only nod.
"Okay, little sister, I see that you are covered in oil and stains. Go and clean it up. I can just accompany your third brother to eat for my mother." Mrs. Liu came to rescue Qin Mubai.
"Okay!" Qin Shuang'er got up and ran out. After leaving the door, she looked back and said with a smile, "Third brother, my little sister will make you some snacks tonight!"
"Okay, okay..." Qin Mubai looked at his little sister's back and laughed, feeling warm in his heart.
"Okay Sanlang, don't eat this little Tiansu. Just accept Si Ya'er's kindness." Ms. Liu smiled and said, "When you come back, you can stay in peace for a while. Your father's body is getting thinner and weaker. As a son, you should show more filial piety before his sick bed."
Qin Mubai nodded and asked: "Mom, my father immediately took over the world with his sword. He was a famous hero for a lifetime. How come he has lost his body like this when he was only forty or fifty years old?"
"Hey..." Ms. Liu sighed softly and shook her head with a worried look on her face. "Your father often said that a man should be buried in horse leather, so he always takes the lead in war. He joined the army when he was a teenager. During the war, he traveled through mountains and seas of fire for more than twenty years on horseback. He went through thousands of battles in all directions. There were more than two hundred fierce battles alone. There was almost no intact skin left on his body, and he was bleeding and broken. Bones are commonplace. As a person, if your muscles and bones are damaged and your spirit is damaged, how can you not get sick in old age? In addition, your father is aloof and arrogant by nature. He refuses to admit defeat and does not recognize old age. The worse his health becomes. My mood got worse... Oh, it’s really hard to describe!”
"Mom, you don't have to worry too much." Seeing his mother's worried look, Qin Mubai felt uncomfortable and comforted her for a while, which finally put her worries at ease.
"Seeing that you are so filial and sensible now, and happy for your mother, your father must also be happy." Mrs. Liu said with a touch of tears.
After the meal, Mrs. Liu and Qin Shuang'er accompanied Qin Mubai around their house, chatting about everyday things. His father Qin Shubao never showed up again, and Qin Mubai couldn't disturb his peace. As for the two eldest half-brothers, they never came back.
I heard from my mother that the two elder brothers have already married and live in Chang'an. The eldest brother Qin Tong is currently the Zuojian Gate Guard and the fifth-rank Zuolang General of Yi Mansion, guarding the imperial palace. The second brother Qin Bin is a Congwen and is currently a bachelor of Hongwen Hall. Responsible for compiling classics, he is actually a member of the emperor's think tank.
The two brothers would come to visit their father every now and then, so they could get together.
Qin Mubai thought to himself, it seems that the difference between concubines and concubines is really big. According to the current custom of the Tang Dynasty court, "the eldest son inherits the title of the second son, the master", which means that the eldest brother Qin Tong, the direct descendant of the Qin family, will inherit the title of the Qin family in the future, and he is now the fifth-rank general of the Imperial Forest Army. Although his official position is not too high, he is still young and has a bright future; his second brother Qin Bin has already married, but because he got married early, he did not marry a princess or princess in the royal family. The Qin family's family business will also be divided between the two legitimate sons in the future.
As for Qin Mubai and the fourth sister who will get married in the future...it seems that they have nothing to do.
Thinking of this, Qin Mubai smiled indifferently - he who is content is always happy!
What if I travel through time and become a cat or a dog, or become a disabled person in the countryside? The situation is pretty good now. At least he is surrounded by the aura of his father, Qin Shubao.
"The road is at your feet, walk on your own."
-Qin Mubai has always believed in this motto. As for the dirty and boring things like internal strife in a big house and trying to seize family property, let them go to hell.
Three days passed.
Qin Mubai saw his father only a handful of times. Except for the morning and evening rituals, which are routine prayers every morning and evening, Qin Shubao didn't see anyone most of the time. The communication between them is also mechanized and stylized with a few words. Fortunately, Mrs. Liu and her fourth sister Shuang'er were with her, otherwise Qin Mubai would feel that he did not belong to this family.
That night, the two eldest brothers went home together to visit their sick father. The three of them, father and son, talked in the inner hall and then went to the polo field in the backyard together, but Qin Mubai was not called.
"Third brother, come on! Daddy is going to test the martial arts of the two brothers in the school!" Fourth sister Shuang'er pulled Qin Mubai to the polo ground without any explanation.
Qin Mubai didn't care or care about it, and happily came to the backyard with his fourth sister.
The Qin Mansion's backyard is very large. Like many wealthy families, there is a polo field for parades, but the Qin family's is more like a school martial arts field. A row of arrows chopped down a row of stables, and there were a dazzling array of eighteen kinds of weapons.
Qin Shubao was half sitting and half lying on a large leather mattress chair. His beard and hair were light and his eyes were slightly narrowed. His slightly blue-grey face was filled with natural majesty.
Tiger Lao is invincible!
On the school martial arts field, two young men in powerful attire were galloping on their horses to practice equestrian skills. Their postures were chic and neat, exuding the air of unrestrained warriors.
"I didn't expect that Congwen's second brother also has such good riding skills. He is really a general's tiger!" Qin Mubai thought to himself.
Seeing Qin Mubai and Qin Shuang'er arriving, Qin Shubao raised his eyelids slightly but remained indifferent. Qin Shuang'er happily ran to him and called out "Daddy" as crisply as a warbler, then knelt down beside him and tapped his legs gently.
"Siya'er, be good." Qin Shubao gave a rare smile, patted Qin Shuang'er's head gently with his rough big hand, and then retracted it into the thick fur.
Qin Mubai stepped forward and bowed, then stood aside to watch the riding skills of his two brothers.
"Sanlang, have you been able to thrive after three years in the army?" Suddenly, Qin Shubao said this.
Qin Mubai's heart moved slightly: If I remember correctly, this is the first time in several days that my father has taken the initiative to talk to me.
"To tell you what my father is saying, after joining the army, my son worked hard to repair his spleen and nature, and learned martial arts, which can be regarded as a slight gain." Qin Mubai cupped his hands and replied.
"Well... Si Ya'er, call your two brothers."
Qin Shuang'er ran to call someone, and soon Qin Tong and Qin Bin both rode back and came to worship Qin Shubao together. Qin Mubai took a closer look at his two half-brothers. The eldest brother Qin Tong was extremely tall and strong, almost as strong as Yuwen Hongtai, and looked like a natural warrior; the second brother Qin Bin, although he was a scholar, He has also developed a good body, strong and even, standing upright like a spear.
The three brothers also greeted each other. In the Tang Dynasty, filial piety was the most important thing. An elder brother is like a father. As a younger brother, Qin Mubai must treat his two elder brothers as if he were his elders, without any neglect of etiquette.
On the contrary, the two eldest brothers who had already married and established a business seemed less enthusiastic about Qin Mubai, his half-brother who was born as a concubine. Although they were polite, there was a vague harshness and contempt for him.
"I, the Qin family, are the generals. No matter what you do in the future, you must not lose your martial arts." Qin Shubao's gentle tone revealed infinite majesty, which made the three sons and one daughter dare not say anything. He said calmly, "My father has three unique skills. They were taught to you three brothers respectively. Dalang learned the art of martial arts, Erlang learned the martial arts, and Sanlang learned the art of spear. The three of you have practiced martial arts since childhood. Ziwen people must also practice archery, which is one of the six arts. Even many women and children can shoot arrows on horseback. "
Qin Shuang'er gently tapped Qin Shubao's leg and said with a low smile: "Dad, my child can also shoot a bow. Can he be a general in the future?"
"Don't be ridiculous." Qin Shubao smiled lightly and stroked her head. Danfeng narrowed his long eyes and said, "It's rare for you three brothers to gather together. Today, as a father, I will test your archery skills."
"Yes, Father!" The three brothers clasped their fists together and agreed.
Qin Mubai clearly felt that his father, two brothers and little sister were all looking at him intentionally or unintentionally.
The meanings are different.