TGCF Extras

TGCF Extra - chapter 245

The stall-owner's daughter came over furtively, crouching down to poke at the sack, as though curious about what the bulky items in it were, and only going back after her mother had called a few times for her. At this time, Xie Lian had yet to cultivate the thick skin which even knives and spears could not penetrate [3], that he would have in the future. He could not help but use his leg to kick the

huge sack under the table, hoping to stuff it in a place where the passers-by would not be able to see it. Alas, the stall was small, and its tables and chairs and benches were also small, such that it was simply impossible to hide such a thing. Xie Lian had no choice but to cough lightly, and do his best to ignore the gazes of the people around him.

He would get used to it. It was no big deal.
Suddenly, he remembered something, and hurriedly reached his hand into the chest of his robes and felt around. His expression changed as he thought, "Now this is even more pitiful! Not only am I sitting alone at an outdoors stall in the cold, eating yuanxiao, on Yuanxiao Festival, I don't even have enough money!!!"

He had intended to slip away hurriedly, but just at that moment, the stall-owner came over with a large porcelain bowl, and set it down on the table, saying, "Five bits of money."
"......"

Xie Lian felt faintly as though he was unable to breathe, as he said, "Uh...... I......"
He coughed a few times, his fist raised before his mouth, as he heard the stall-owner say, "Is it that you don't have any?"

Xie Lian was just about to thicken his skin and stand up and scram, when he saw the large porcelain bowl being put on the table before him with a thud.

He froze, and heard the stall-owner say, "Forget it. Seeing how pitiful you are, I'll give you a bowl. I'll need to close up the stall after you finish this, so hurry up and go back. It's Yuanxiao Festival today,

you should be together with your family!"

"......"

Xie Lian sat down again, and although he remarked to himself that he had nowhere to go back to after he finished this bowl of yuanxiao, he said out loud in a soft voice, "Thank you."
The stall-owner also said, "It's so late out, and to go back back this late on Yuanxiao Festival is improper!"

His wife said, "He looks like he's worked hard too, and will be leaving soon, stop scolding him in the meanwhile. Miao-er [4], Miao-er, stop bustling about. Always having you come over to help, it makes us feel bad. Come here and eat with us."

That young lady said, "I'm not bustling around!" She put away the last table, and went over to sit and have a portion of yuanxiao with them.
The four people seemed to be waiting for another person to come back to join their gathering, as they talked and laughed. Xie Lian looked at them, held up his bowl, spooned a piece into his mouth, and drank a sip of sweet soup.

But he still did not know what its taste was. +

"Gege, gege?"

Only then did Xie Lian recall his attention. Hua Cheng was by his side, staring at him. In his red robes, Hua Cheng's brows and eyes were all the more brilliant, and the light from the lanterns gave his otherwise pale (to the point that he looked lifeless) face a layer of soft colour. Xie Lian grew slightly distracted as he looked, saying,

"What?"

Hua Chen said, "Is gege tired? Or is it that he can't walk?"

Xie Lian nodded without much thought. Hua Cheng said, "Sorry. I overdid it last night."Only after a while did Xie Lian react to what he had said, and hurriedly waved his hands, saying, "...... what are you saying, it is nothing of that sort! This has nothing to do with that!"
Hua Cheng raised a brow, saying, "Really? If this has nothing to do with that, that means, I did not overdo it? And so, I can......?"