Bamboo house

She opened the window beside the tea table. She poured water in a cup and she sat down and leans on the window door watching the outside view.

She goes to jogging daily because she loves to watch fresh grass, flowers opening at morning time, birds chirping, birds moving from their nest, flower petals and leaves falling due to morning breeze, to hear those rustling sounds.

She takes a cup, sips water from it, and she places her elbow at the edge of the window. She places her chin on her hand she gets mesmerized by seeing this pollution free nature. At a long distance, she felt sun is taking a sneak peek to wake up every one.

She turned her head with a smile on her face. She was in shock by seeing her brother standing beside her and he is staring at her. She asked, "Brother, when did you wake up?"He said I have been standing here right when you started drinking water. She said, "oh, I didn't notice you"

He smiled and said, " little Chun, it is very easy to fool you." She frowned and said, "Brother" He asked, "What are you watching not even noticing what's happening around you?"

She said," I like to watch this nature early in the morning." She pulled his hand and told him to sit. Just close your eyes relax your mind, just think that you are alone now and do not think about anything "brother, slowly open your eyes and watch this beautiful things in nature which makes you relaxed."

He smiled and said, "So, my little Chun likes these short lived things." She replied, "Yes, you go and take a bath." He stood up and left. Chun ling thought thank god at least I have made him smile and tried to make him comfortable.

She thought I have to ask brother where I can purchase funeral clothes, paper money, and ancestral tablet. It has been two days. I did not even pay respects to my parents because of these difficult situations.

She was summarizing what all the things she need to buy. She took a paper, dipped the brush in ink, and noted them. Huixiang got ready; he saw her writing seriously and thought what she was writing.

He asked her, "What are you writing?" She replied, "I am making a list of things that I should buy, and she lowered her voice and said we need to buy mourning clothes and things required for mourning."

Huixiang said, "Ok let's buy what all you want to buy, I will go down and order breakfast." She said "Hmm" Huixiang ordered breakfast and came upstairs. He sat at the window opposite to her and saw the bustling street.

Little Chun saw many street vendors selling food items, few tea stalls and people are sitting and talking with each other. Few of them are setting up stalls, children running on the road.

They heard the knock on the door. Huixiang opened the door and took the tray from the server then he closed the door. He placed the breakfast on the table he told her, " little Chun, let's eat."

Chun ling closed her eyes and moved her hands towards her body and folded her hands, she said, "thank you god for providing me with food and making me watch another beautiful day."

When she opened her eyes, she saw Huixiang staring at her. She asked, "What happened?" He said, "Do you always pray like that?" She replied "Hmm."

They took their chopsticks and started eating their food. She thought did I make any mistake. Oh, I forgot I have prayed as if I did at my home. He may think me as crazy.

Forget it at the most he thinks I am a peculiar person. After a few days, he would be habituated with my weird habits. Therefore, I should not expose all of them at a time. Both of them finished eating.

He told her, "Pack all your things in your bag. I will go downstairs for check out and when I return back we will move out." She opened her bag to pack her clothes and covered her face with a veil.

Huixiang came and took his bag. He said, "If you are ready, let's leave." Both walked out of the room, they descended the stairs, and went outside the inn.

Chun ling said, "brother, I want to buy men's clothing" he asked "why?" she said, "From today onwards I want to disguise as a boy when I am outside." He said "ok"

They initial went to a clothes shop which was very big. She saw varieties of handcrafts on the dresses.They purchased mourning clothes and she selected six pairs of men's clothing according to her physique. They took them and went outside.

Huixiang took her to a food stall and purchased a few dumplings and side dishes. Chun ling saw a hairpin accessories stall side to this food stall.

She said, brother, I am going to this stall, and she pointed her finger. He nodded his head.

She saw a blue narrow head crown and thought this would suit for my brother, so I will buy for him. She also purchased a purple colored silk ribbon and a small head crown with white star symbol on a black colored stone.

She took out her pouch and paid money. She went back to her brother. He asked, "what did you buy?" She smiled and said, "its secret." He grinned. They took packed food items.

She asked him, "Brother, do you know how to cook?" He said, " I know a little." She said, "thank god, at least you know how to cook otherwise I would have starved. Then I should learn how to cook from you. Once I have learnt it I will cook for you. You will be the luckiest person to taste the food prepared by me. Till then I have to trouble you..."

He mocked at her, " After eating the food prepared by you, do you think I will be alive?" She said, "Of course you will be." They went to a vegetable stall. He said, "You purchase vegetables and I will buy a horse carriage." She nodded.

She purchased the vegetables and waited for him. Huixiang got stunned seeing the vegetables in the bag he thought she knows how to select vegetables.

He helped her to get into the carriage and kept all the bags in the carriage. He asked her, "how did you select good quality of vegetables?"

She said during our shopping I have observed how others are buying and picking them. I can grasp quickly. Actually, she went shopping for vegetables in the modern era.

She cannot say that, as she was a princess. She purchased quilts, kitchen accessories, food items, cleaning items and then they moved from Luoyang city.

Huixiang whipped the horse to start the ride. After a half incense burning time bamboo trees surrounded them. She can see a beautiful bamboo house at a distance, it has a garden, which has few flowers and grapevines, orange, peach trees.

The horse cart stopped. She got down and slowly walked inside the courtyard. Huixiang took the entire luggage and placed it outside the house.

He said to little Chun, "I have not come here for the past three years. You can take rest I will go and clean the room."

She told him, "Brother I will clean outside" He asked her, Do you know how to clean? She said, " Yes…" He nodded. He took a broom and a cloth then he went inside.

Little Chun took the broom, she swept outside and set the leaves in a bag. She pulled out the weeds and the grass. It took both at least two hours to clean the complete house. The back yard has a well with large open space.

She saw a water lake with a bamboo bridge on it. She tied a rope to the bucket, to get the water from the well. She washed her hands and face.

Beside the lake there was a round wheel attached with bamboo shoots to this wheel. So, it pushes the water into the bamboo shoots. So, it is used for household activities.

She turned back and saw there was a smoke inside the house. She rushed inside to see what had happened. She asked him, "Brother, what had happened?"

He said, "nothing" She saw the wok filled with half burnt dumplings. She said, "What this new dish called?" She said, "Is it called as half burnt dumplings or black dumplings?"

He said, "I thought to heat them it turned out be like this." She took the wok and threw them. She washed the wok. She saw the side dishes, which he had bought.

She said, "Brother, today, I will cook for the first time. Please adjust. For my sake please have some food even if it doesn't taste good." Huixiang smiled and went out. He thought, "I think I should starve today."

She took out a few carrots, cabbage, beans, tomatoes, green onions, ginger, garlic washed them. She sliced the vegetables. She started the fire in the fire pit.

She kept the wok, once it is heated, and she poured water in it to boil. In the meantime, she washed the rice. When water has boiled, she placed all the rice from the bowl into the boiling water.

On the other side she kept a wok when it is hot she poured some oil into it. She added some strands of ginger, garlic and fried them for a few seconds, she took carrots, cabbage, beans and placed in the same wok and fried them.

Once they are fried, she added salt and crushed pepper and soy sauce. She removed the wok, she placed a new wok added few ginger and garlic in oil and fried them, and then she added carrots, tomato in the same wok and fried them until they are cooked.

Then she added a bit of corn flour mixed in water, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and coriander leaves. When water starts boiling, she took out the wok from fire and placed the soup into two bowls, she placed them on the table.

In the meantime, rice was cooked she mixed all the fried vegetables in the rice. She placed them into two bowls. She turned off the fire. She placed the chopsticks and spoons beside the bowls. She also placed the side dishes, which he bought.

She went outside, she said, "brother, food is ready. I am telling you before, I don't know how bad it tastes, and it's slightly burnt as this is my first time preparing for someone" Huixiang got shocked and frowned.

They went inside, and he saw the table with dishes; he thought their appearance was good. Little Chun introduced the dishes such as fried rice and soup to his brother.

Little Chun thought to tease her brother she picked the chopsticks folded her hands, closed her eyes, she said "oh god, please take care of me and my brother after eating this food." Huixiang for the first time he felt fear to eat.

She took a bite of her food and made a face as if it does not taste good. Huixiang was staring at her as she chewed it. She took a few vegetables from the side dishes, which he brought she placed them in his bowl. She said, "Eat brother."

She is smiling slowly by seeing the worried expression on huixiang's face as he was looking at the food. He took a bite, and he felt relieved by the taste.

She laughed loudly "brother, they are not tasty right." He said, "No...These dishes are delicious." She said, "I knew it already, I am teasing you and you have got fooled by me. I have enjoyed a lot."

Huixiang said, "you have become very naughty." After finishing the food, she washed the bowls and he arranged the white lanterns outside the house.

She went outside and she asked, "What are your plans after going to jiankang city, I mean regarding your future?" He replied as I have worked as a general in northern qi, that if everything works out well I would work as general for Chen kingdom.

She said, "I want to set up a hotel. I will introduce a few new dishes to chiefs. I will manage it. What do you think? "He said, "It is a good idea your dishes are so tasty and unique."

She said, "One more thing can you teach me horse riding and martial arts to protect myself after a week." He said "okay."Then she took a rope, she asked him, "I am going to wash my clothes, give me yours." He showed them.

She soaked them in a bucket beside the well. She tied the rope to the bamboo trees. She washed them and dried them on the rope. Meanwhile he wrote the name on the tablet.

He placed his father's ashes in a jar, covered it with a cloth, and tied a rope on it.

The other tablet does not have a name.

Chun ling thought if I name it, he might inquire about those persons. It may lead to unnecessary doubts; I have already revealed my cooking and shopping skills. I do not want to create a new problem. I will tell him it is the ancestral tablet of my savior.

She took the incense stick, lit it, and placed it before the tablets. Even Huixiang did the same. They both bent down, sat on the futon cupped their hands and bowed three times.

As expected Huixiang asked her, "little Chun, why didn't you name the tablet, whose tablet it is?" She replied, "It is my savior's I don't know his name."

She thought he may ask more questions she said to him, "Brother, I am feeling sleepy I will rest now." He nodded. She lay down on her bed and slept. Huixiang lay down on the opposite bed.

He thought, "I have never seen such a girl who can handle every work equally and efficiently being as a princess. Even those noble family girls cannot compare to her. I will wait and see what all surprises she can give to me." He closed his eyes.

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