I’ll Make You Another Pair

After Jiang Danhe’s countless reminders, Xiaoguo finally saw his shoes.

Once she spotted the shoes, Xiaoguo felt a little shy. It was one thing to give someone a gift, but it was another thing to see him wearing it in person. That was the reason why she didn’t give it to him personally. Now that she was facing him directly, she was filled with embarrassment.

Jiang Danhe could tell that she had seen it.

Before setting off, Jiang Danhe specially put on the boots that Xiaoguo had made for him. Because they were very precious, he tried his best not to step on the ground while he was on his way. He did not want to put too much pressure on the boots for fear that they would crease.

“Don’t you find them hot!”

Seeing him dressed like this, Xiaoguo was a little amused despite her shyness. The boots she had made were meant to be worn during the coldest period in winter. The weather was not even that cold yet, and he was already wearing them. Doesn’t he feel hot right now?

“It’s hot. I can feel the heat in my feet and also in my heart,”

Jiang Danhe nodded and replied honestly. How could it not be hot? The shoes that Xiaoguo had made for him would keep him hot even when the weather was at its coldest, not to mention now when the temperatures had started to dip a little, and winter had yet to arrive. In his last sentence, he didn’t forget to flirt with Xiaoguo.

“Stop kidding around.”

Xiaoguo rolled her eyes at him.

“Hurry up and take it off. Didn’t you bring any luggage? Hurry up and change.”

Xiaoguo was afraid that he would get overheated in the shoes.

When Jiang Danhe heard this, he shook his head vigorously. “No, no. I like it.”

He simply refused to change no matter what Xiaoguo said. She did not expect him to be so stubborn.

“Aiya, how about I make you another pair?”

Xiaoguo said in exasperation when she saw that Jiang Danhe was adamant about keeping his shoes on.

“Really?!”

Jiang Danhe looked at Xiaoguo and asked happily. If Xiaoguo were to make a few more pairs for him, he could take turns wearing them. In the future, he would only wear the shoes that she made.

Xiaoguo nodded helplessly. She was too hasty earlier on and had blurted out those words unknowingly. But looking at Jiang Danhe’s expression now, she couldn’t bear to say no. “So be it. It wouldn’t take long anyway.”

When Jiang Danhe heard this, he immediately lifted the curtain and looked outside. He called out, “Is there someone who can tell me where we are now?”

“General, we have departed from Shun Teng State by about twenty miles.”

A group of soldiers who had come with Jiang Danhe were following alongside the carriage. When one of them heard the general’s question, he immediately came over to answer him.

“How long until the next county?”

“General, the next district is Luoyang City. It will probably be evening time when we reach there.”

Jiang Danhe waved him away and turned to sit back in the carriage. He looked disappointed that it would take so long.

Xiaoguo couldn’t understand what he was up to. She noticed that he was constantly looking outside.

_

Soon, it was time for lunch. Xiaoguo was prepared to eat with Magistrate Liu and his men, but Jiang Danhe waved his hand and asked his subordinates to prepare a sumptuous meal instead.

Xiaoguo did not expect Jiang Danhe to be so well-prepared for this trip. She sat down with Zhuang Zhuang and did not join the magistrate for lunch.

Magistrate Liu came over halfway during lunch. He was so busy in the morning that he didn’t have time to chat with Jiang Danhe properly. As soon as the car stopped, he immediately got out.

“General, is the carriage comfortable? Is it too hard? I have a very soft cotton cushion. Shall I bring it to you first?”

“General, do you have enough food and water? I have a lot of good food here. Since I’ve brought extra, why don’t we eat together?”

“General, do you want some fruit? I happened to have a few apples here. I’ll bring them to you now.”

County Magistrate Liu said a lot, and Jiang Danhe did not ignore him. After all, he still needed the magistrate’s help to escort Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang home.

Jiang Danhe exchanged pleasantries with him nonchalantly, “No, it’s fine…”

Xiaoguo’s embarrassment was about to overflow from the screen. Even with Jiang Danhe’s indifferent attitude, Magistrate Liu was still able to carry on talking excitedly, as if it was his honor to be able to talk to Jiang Danhe. Xiaoguo could feel chills down her spine.

While Jiang Danhe was speaking with Magistrate Liu, he kept observing Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang. Whenever the rice in their bowls got lesser, he would top them up.

Xiaoguo wasn’t interested in their small talk, so she focused on eating the rice in her bowl. But after eating for a long time, she realized that her bowl was still full. Jiang Danhe was filling the bowl faster than she could eat.

“Alright, alright. I’m not eating anymore.”

After Magistrate Liu left, Xiaoguo put down her bowl and stopped Jiang Danhe from filling her bowl with rice. If she continued eating, she would vomit.

Jiang Danhe shrugged. Then he picked up Xiaoguo’s bowl and started eating with the chopsticks she was using. One should not waste food.

After dinner, they rested for a while before setting off. Initially, the plan was to set off after lunch. Magistrate Liu had heard that Jiang Danhe was traveling with them because he was on a business trip. Out of consideration that he might be rushing for time, the magistrate was prepared to push on with the journey.

Unexpectedly, when Jiang Danhe heard the plan, he waved his hand, indicating that he was not in a hurry. They could take their time.

Magistrate Liu was overjoyed when he heard that. Apparently, he would prefer to rest a little longer. He was just saying that to show that he was accommodating to Jiang Danhe’s needs, in order to score points with the man. However, when he heard that there was no need to rush, he heaved a sigh of relief. He was glad to take a longer break. If they were to travel continuously, his body would not be able to take it.

After the group had rested enough, they continued with their journey.

Jiang Danhe had given up riding on his horse earlier on. He was now traveling in the carriage with his baggage, seated closely beside Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang.

Xiaoguo looked around the spacious carriage. Jiang Danhe refused to sit anywhere else and insisted on squeezing next to the two of them. It felt so crowded that Zhuang Zhuang, the little meatball, could barely breathe.

Seeing this, Xiaoguo picked the boy up and threw him onto Jiang Danhe’s lap. Since he enjoyed crowding beside them, she should let him hug Zhuang Zhuang all he wanted.

Zhuang Zhuang was obviously very happy with his position. Although Jiang Danhe’s thighs were muscular, it was still much more comfortable than a hard carriage.

“Mother, we’ll take turns to sit here.”

Zhuang Zhuang said happily to Xiaoguo. He could not enjoy this comfortable seat all by himself. His mother must be very tired too.

When Jiang Danhe heard this, his eyes instantly lit up. He quickly turned to look at Xiaoguo with anticipation. If she wished to sit on him, he would welcome her with open arms.

“… There’s no need.”

When Xiaoguo heard this, she turned her head uncomfortably and even secretly glared at Jiang Danhe. Being an adult, how could he fool around like a kid.

Zhuang Zhuang shrugged. “Fine, this position is really comfortable.”

Jiang Danhe was pretty disappointed, and he adjusted Zhuang Zhuang’s position in his lap. “Speaking of which, why is this kid so heavy…”

–

The sky gradually turned dark. Magistrate Liu was already preparing to enter the town. With Jiang Danhe here, It would be better for him to find a place for everyone to rest.

The convoy arrived at Luoyang City. Although Jiang Danhe had been teasing Xiaoguo throughout the journey, he was constantly observing their surroundings carefully. When he saw the city gate tower, Jiang Danhe felt slightly relieved.

Luoyang City was currently being guarded by an old acquaintance of his. Since he was here now, it was a good opportunity for them to catch up.

The convoy was stopped at the gates by the guards due to the size of their congregation, which consisted of soldiers, cavalry, and carriages.