The Two Back Views in Silver Heart's Eyes

The sun was already high in the sky.

The sun shines on the dirt roads in the county town.

A layer of sweat had formed on Zhu Yingtai's forehead, and her cheeks were slightly flushed.

She wiped away her sweat, then couldn't help tugging at the collar of her wide-sleeved shirt. The collar was tightly folded, making her feel a little stuffy. She wanted to loosen it, but as soon as her hand touched it, she pulled it back.

Seeing this, Liang Shanbo laughed and said, "Brother, we're tired from walking. Let's find a restaurant for breakfast, and then we can go back to the school."

He didn't want to continue shopping. If he kept going, Zhu Yingtai would probably have to buy him more things.

Zhu Yingtai suddenly said, "Brother Liang, to be honest, my servants have rented a small house in this county town."

Liang Shanbo's gaze shifted slightly.

Zhu Yingtai continued, "That room is for me to rest and bathe. We've been walking around all day and we're all sweaty. It's not convenient to bathe at the school on weekdays. After breakfast, Brother Liang, come with me to that room and take a bath too."

She suddenly remembered something and added, "It's perfect time to change into the clothes I bought today."

Liang Shanbo hadn't known about this before. But now that she'd told him, he wasn't surprised.

Zhu Yingtai, being a lady from a prominent family, had a habit of bathing frequently at home. At the school, however, she could only wash herself at night. How could she not find a way to properly rest and relax under such circumstances?

Her family was well-off, and renting a small house in the county town and assigning one or two servants to look after it was not a difficult task for her to do on her days off.

However, she unexpectedly invited him to go with her today.

This means that she is willing to let him into her secret corner.

Liang Shanbo smiled slightly: "Alright."

He only said one word.

Zhu Yingtai's eyes lit up immediately.

The two immediately found a restaurant and had breakfast there.

After finishing their breakfast and leaving the restaurant, Yin Xin led the two of them toward the house rented by the Zhu family.

The three of them crossed the main street and turned into a small alley.

The alley was narrow, with earthen walls on both sides, and wild grass growing on the top of the walls.

There was a small house in the alley, with a courtyard. The courtyard wall was made of rammed earth and covered with a layer of thatch. The gate was made of wood, the paint was somewhat mottled, and the brass rings on the gate were covered with green rust.

Yin Xin stepped forward, took out a key, and unlocked the door.

The door creaked open.

In the courtyard, there are three main rooms and a kitchen. In the corner of the courtyard grows a clump of green bamboo, its stalks upright and its branches and leaves lush. Under the bamboo is a small stone well, with a wooden pulley on the well curb.

Yin Xin walked into the courtyard, placed her luggage at the entrance of the main room, then turned around and said to Zhu Yingtai, "My lord, I'll go boil some water first."

Zhu Yingtai nodded.

Yinxin then went into the kitchen. From the kitchen came the sounds of scooping water and adding firewood, and wisps of smoke rose slowly from the chimney in the sunlight.

Before long, Yin Xin came to Zhu Yingtai and said, "My lord, the water is hot!"

Zhu Yingtai responded and went into the kitchen.

Liang Shanbo followed him inside.

Inside the kitchen, an earthenware pot sat on the stove, the water inside boiling hot, steam rising from it. Yin Xin was using a wooden ladle to scoop the hot water into two wooden buckets. The two buckets were identical, made of new wood, their walls polished smooth, and they carried the fresh scent of wood.

Looking at the two wooden buckets, Liang Shanbo thought to himself, "Could it be that Zhu Yingtai prepared a wooden bucket especially for me?"

This wasn't just him being presumptuous; it was the truth. Zhu Yingtai, being thoughtful, decided to invite him to bathe here today and specially prepared a wooden tub for him. After all, her own tub wasn't suitable for him.

In addition, the house was originally guarded by servants of the Zhu family. Zhu Yingtai specially sent Yin Xin to send the servants away today, so that they would not see her bringing Liang Shanbo and complain to her parents.

Liang Shanbo stepped forward and took the wooden ladle from Yin Xin's hand: "Let me do it."

Before Yin Xin could speak, Liang Shanbo had already started scooping water.

Before long, both wooden buckets were filled with warm water. The water rippled slightly, and wisps of steam rose gently.

Zhu Yingtai said, "Brother Liang, besides the main hall, there are two bedrooms in the main house. We'll each use one."

Liang Shanbo nodded.

Together with Silverheart, he carried the two wooden buckets into the two bedrooms.

Immediately afterwards, Liang Shanbo took a bath in a bedroom.

Inside the room, warm water steamed in a bucket, with a bath towel and soap pod placed beside it.

Liang Shanbo took off his clothes, reached out to test the water temperature; it was neither too cold nor too hot, just right.

He stepped into the wooden tub and slowly sat down. Hot water washed over his shoulders and neck. Steam enveloped him from all directions, opening up every pore on his body.

He let out a long breath, closed his eyes, and leaned against the side of the tub.

Since leaving his home in Shanyin and traveling all the way to Qiantang, and then entering Wansong Academy, he hadn't had a proper bath for many days. At the academy, he could only wipe himself with a damp cloth each night, but nothing could compare to the comfort of immersing himself in hot water like this.

The misty steam made his face appear hazy.

He began to make plans in his mind.

She was fed a meal every day, Zhu Yingtai offered. She also received a basin of hot water for bathing every night, Zhu Yingtai paid for.

He accepted all of this.

But he couldn't accept those gifts today for nothing.

Before long, the water cooled down.

He stood up from the wooden tub, picked up a towel, dried himself off, and then walked to the edge of the couch.

He put on the light gray linen robe that Zhu Yingtai had bought for him that day, tied the newly bought plain linen belt around his waist, and then took the newly bought light gray fine linen headscarf and wrapped it around his head, tidying up the corners of the headscarf.

After dressing neatly, he tidied up the room a bit, then pushed open the door and went out.

Zhu Yingtai was taking a bath in another bedroom, where Yin Xin was serving her.

He walked into the courtyard.

The sun was shining brightly. He stood under the shade of the clump of green bamboo.

Before long, he heard the sound of a door opening in the main room behind him. He turned around and saw Zhu Yingtai coming out of the main room.

Zhu Yingtai's gaze fell on him, and then her eyes lit up.

She looked at him; his new clothes made his features appear even more refined, and he stood under the bamboo shade, looking indescribably clean, upright, and serene.

She couldn't help but feel that all the effort she had put into choosing items for him today had not been in vain.

His dark gray linen robe suited him perfectly.

The natural linen belt and the light gray linen scarf both suited him well, and both complemented his light gray linen robe.

She walked up to him, looked him up and down carefully, and then smiled and said, "Brother Liang, you look very handsome dressed like that."

The voice was soft, carrying an undisguised joy.

Liang Shanbo looked at her and smiled, "My dear brother made a good choice."

Zhu Yingtai blushed slightly at his words and quickly turned her head away, pretending to look at the clump of green bamboo.

A gust of wind blew by, and the bamboo leaves rustled.

Sunlight filtered through the bamboo leaves, dappling the ground and the two people.

Outside the courtyard wall, the faint sounds of street vendors hawking their wares, chatting, and riding in carriages drifted in. These sounds, muffled by the distance, reached here as if from another world.

Just then, Yin Xin's voice came from behind: "Young Master Liang, could you please help me carry the wooden bucket?"

Liang Shanbo nodded slightly to Zhu Yingtai and walked towards the main room.

Zhu Yingtai paused for a moment, then followed.

After the three of them tidied up together, Zhu Yingtai said to Liang Shanbo, "Brother Liang, let's go back to the school."

Liang Shanbo nodded.

The three of them left the courtyard, and Yin Xin turned around and locked the door.

They followed the route they had taken, passing through alleys, across the main street, and out of the city gate.

It was midday, and the sun was rising higher and higher.

The sun shone directly down, scorching the three of them. Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai inevitably started sweating again. But this didn't mean their bath in the county town had been a waste of time.

Zhu Yingtai walked beside Liang Shanbo, then suddenly remembered something and turned to look at him: "Brother Liang."

Liang Shanbo responded with a "Hmm?"

Zhu Yingtai said, "Let's come to the county town together again on the next day off."

Liang Shanbo smiled slightly: "Alright."

Zhu Yingtai's lips curved into a smile: "Then it's settled."

As we walked, the pine forest outside Wansong Academy became visible in the distance.

Yin Xin followed behind the two, carrying her backpack, watching the two figures walking side by side ahead.

A man dressed in a brand-new light gray linen robe, with a brand-new natural linen belt around his waist and a brand-new light gray fine linen headscarf, stood upright.

A woman wearing a cross-collar, wide-sleeved shirt, with a black silk sash tied around her waist and her hair tied up with a bamboo hairpin, walked with light steps.

Yin Xin suddenly thought that the two of them looked quite good together. She wondered what it would be like if her own woman took off her men's clothes and put on women's clothes instead?

She shook her head, quickened her pace, and followed.

A sound like the rustling of pine trees drifted over.

Wansong Academy is in sight.