Chapter 120: The Little Housekeeper

Liu Ping walked ahead, with Liu Yue following closely behind. As she watched her brother’s back, she subconsciously covered the pendant resting against her chest. It emitted a faint, cooling sensation that was deeply refreshing; usually, she felt sluggish upon waking, but today she felt exceptionally invigorated. She wondered if it was because of her brother, but it didn't seem quite right—could it really be this piece of jade?

"If you want to wait for me in the morning, Brother, you should just wait in my room," she said softly. Although their home had grown larger and more comfortable, the distance between their rooms had increased, making her wish things were as they were before.

Liu Ping replied, "I’m too lazy to walk that far."

Hearing this, Liu Yue pouted. "Then don't wait. We're both in the same house anyway, what's the point?"

Liu Ping chuckled. "I like to."

Liu Yue stuck out her tongue and quickened her pace to walk alongside him. "Brother, help me hang the calamus on my door later."

Before Liu Ping could speak, she added, "Don't you dare say we have servants for that."

Liu Ping spread his hands in resignation. "Fine, I'll do it, alright?"

After breakfast, his sister began directing the maids to hang calamus, mugwort, wormwood, atractylodes, and angelica on the doors and corridors. She also assigned Liu Ping the task of hanging these items on the doors of their own bedrooms.

Looking at the herbs in his hand, his eyes fell upon a sprig of angelica. He smiled, "Angelica isn't particularly beautiful, yet it possesses a quiet grace."

Before noon, they began their midday meal.

Earlier, their mother had said with great thoughtfulness, "There is a dragon boat race on the Qinshui River this afternoon. Ping'er, take your sister to enjoy the festivities."

Liu Yue clapped her hands immediately, smiling. "That sounds wonderful!"

Liu Ping did not object and nodded in agreement.

For lunch, the table was set with realgar wine, various zongzi, and several simple dishes. Their father was not at the table; when asked why, they learned he had gone to meet an acquaintance to investigate the matter of their mother’s sister, Qin Han.

Mother Liu had advised him to wait, as it was the Dragon Boat Festival, but Father Liu understood the heart of the woman he had spent over a decade with. Though he spoke of not rushing, he was more anxious than anyone. He hadn't slept until deep into the night, and Father Liu could not simply turn a blind eye to his distress.

Liu Ping heard this and did not intervene. He had given his parents protective jade talismans the day before, which would automatically trigger in danger, and he would be alerted instantly. Unless an opponent was at the peak of the Earth Immortal realm, they could not break the talismans quickly, ensuring his parents' safety. Investigating the matter posed almost no risk.

After a light meal, Mother Liu departed to settle affairs with the servants, allowing them a few days of rest for the festival while offering double wages to those who remained.

For a moment, only Liu Ping and Liu Yue remained at the dining table.

Looking up at her brother, Liu Yue felt he had changed. There was an indefinable aura about him that made one feel exceptionally at ease—could this be the legendary "literary spirit"? She remembered her brother had earned quite a bit of money writing "The Investiture of the Three Kingdoms." Although she couldn't quite grasp the novel herself, she often heard her father praising it with great pride, so it must be truly impressive.

But then again, her brother being impressive seemed only natural.

Suddenly, she realized her brother had raised his head and caught her gaze. Liu Yue’s face flushed; she rolled her eyes and said, "Brother, let's play 'unwrapping the zongzi'."

"Unwrapping the zongzi?" Liu Ping blinked.

"Yes," Liu Yue nodded.

"What's the wager?" Liu Ping asked with a smile. The game involved comparing the length of the leaves unwrapped from the zongzi, with the longest one winning.

"Hmm... let me think." Liu Yue rested her chin on her hand, pondering. After a moment, she looked up. "There doesn't seem to be anything worth betting, does there?"

Liu Ping burst into laughter.

Liu Yue glared at him.

Liu Ping composed himself and asked, "Is there nothing you want?"

Liu Yue’s eyes brightened. "If I win, you have to paint my forehead later. If you win, you can paint yours. How about that?"

"Painting the forehead" referred to using realgar wine to draw the character for "king" (Wang) on one's brow. It was common for young children, though many adults did it as a playful tradition.

"Very well."

They each unwrapped a zongzi and compared the lengths of their leaves. After a careful inspection, the result was clear.

"I won!" Liu Yue clapped her hands, beaming.

"That’s not logical..." Liu Ping muttered, feeling speechless. He had lost? With his immense fortune, the odds of him losing such a small game should have been one in five, or even one in ten.

Suddenly, he understood. Perhaps he had subconsciously allowed himself to lose because he wanted the chance to paint his sister’s forehead himself.

True fortune is not about winning or losing, but about the intent of the heart.

He walked over, dipped his finger into the realgar wine, and leaned down to draw the horizontal line on her brow.

Feeling the cool touch of the wine and the softness of her skin, Liu Ping paused for a moment. He studied her face closely; his sister’s features were right before him, her cheeks flushed with a faint red, her lips pressed together, and her eyes tightly shut.

Compared to last year, Liu Yue seemed to have matured. Though her frame remained delicate and youthful, she already possessed a distinct beauty. Observing her serene face, he felt a sudden, impulsive urge to press his lips to hers.

"Are you done yet?" his sister asked, opening her eyes slightly.

"Yes, all done." Startled, Liu Ping quickly finished the character. For some reason, he felt a twinge of guilt.

Liu Yue didn't notice. She smiled and said, "Shall we go watch the dragon boats now?"

They set off, the atmosphere between them subtly awkward. Liu Yue tried to lighten the mood, but her efforts were lackluster, and she felt a touch of frustration—had she known it would be like this, she wouldn't have asked him to paint her forehead.

Yet, despite her frustration, she felt no regret; it was not something worth regretting.

They arrived in Qinshui County by carriage. The streets were sparsely populated, but the pedestrians were moving quickly toward the west side of the city.

"Brother, there’s hardly anyone on the main street; I bet they’ve all gone to watch the race. Let's hurry," Liu Yue said, pulling back the curtain to peek outside. "I wonder if we'll find a good spot?"

Soon, the carriage reached the west side. The area was packed with people, and the stalls lining the streets were bustling with incessant shouting. The carriage could go no further, so they had to disembark.

Outside the Qinshui County walls lay the river. With the race held here, the crowds were immense. Though they weren't quite shoulder-to-shoulder, there was a real risk of getting separated if one lost focus.

"Hold my hand, don't get lost," Liu Ping said, reaching out to take her small hand.

"Okay."

Before long, they reached the river embankment. The crowd had swelled further; as far as the eye could see, it was a sea of people, all watching the dragon boats and cheering. The sun beat down with relentless heat, but the harsh rays did nothing to dampen their enthusiasm.

Liu Ping scanned the water. "There should be pleasure boats for rent to watch the race, right?"

Liu Yue replied, "They cost several hundred taels."

"Money is no object."

"Even if it isn't, we shouldn't waste it like that," Liu Yue said, her brow furrowing slightly.

"My little housekeeper," Liu Ping sighed with a smile. "So, you'd rather suffer here?"

"This isn't so bad," she insisted, standing on her tiptoes to watch the dragon boats racing across the water.

The boats were narrow and long, reaching five or six zhang in length, each carrying dozens of rowers pulling with all their might.

There were many different boats on the water, but unfortunately, they were obscured by the throng of people, making it hard to see much.

Suddenly, Liu Ping’s eyes lit up. He laughed, "My little housekeeper, since you don't want to spend the money, let’s go hitch a ride on someone else's boat."

"Hitch a ride?" Liu Yue blinked, then protested indignantly, "And stop calling me that! It’s a horrible name."

Liu Ping didn't answer. Instead, he led her through the crowd. An invisible force surrounded him; people parted ways for them before they even touched, and soon they reached the riverbank.

There, a pleasure boat was moored, occupied by a group of young men and women—the most prominent youths of the county. Such boats were rare, as there was a limit of five to ensure the race could proceed. To occupy one meant they were of significant status—true sons and daughters of wealth and influence.

Among them was Wang Hong. Having just recovered from his illness, he was still weak and dared not drink, so he sipped cold tea with a miserable expression. Beside him, the others were chatting and laughing. Standing at the center of the group was the magistrate’s son, who was holding court, telling a story with great flair.

Seemingly noticing something, Wang Hong turned his head abruptly. He saw Liu Ping pulling Liu Yue toward them. His face brightened, and he stood up, calling out, "Brother Liu!"