Chapter 25 Previous Life Soon, Ximin's stunned handsome face was filled with warm sunshine, and he said softly, "Let's go, I'll show you." I happily followed Westminster and continued walking forward. The architectural style of this place is a combination of classical and cheerful, with spire-shaped sloping roofs, plastered wooden frames and column decorations. The natural building materials and the vines climbing on them complement each other, making people feel inexplicably happy. Ximin laughed and said, "Tian'er has a really good memory. He seems to be able to remember a lot of things." I nodded and shook my head, suddenly not knowing what I wanted to say. "Master, it's time to eat." A man in his thirties walked over from the end of the path. He had a handsome face, but there was a gleam of light between his eyebrows and eyes, and there were always a few strange smoke-like things reflected on his body. From time to time, he secretly glanced at Westminster, and then at me. "Brother Ximin, I'm hungry." When I heard about the meal, I suddenly felt very hungry and didn't want to see this strange man. Westminster smiled and shook her head. The girl who was usually quiet and indifferent was always unusually happy when she heard about cakes. After passing through the vermilion entrance hall, a plump woman with a smile was waiting there. She had gentle features and spoke very little. She only glanced at him briefly before taking Westminster's coat. The quaint dining table was filled with steaming meals, and there were also a few exotic and rare pastries on the table, with pure colors, high-quality textures, and mellow colors... I couldn't wait. "Master Min, you told me that the young lady loves pastries, so I prepared a few extra ones." The woman smiled.
Ximin smiled like a child: "I know Aunt Xin loves me, these are all my favorite foods." The woman was still smiling, calm and composed. I smiled sweetly at Aunt Xin, then picked up the chopsticks and started eating. After taking a bite of the cake, I was pleasantly surprised by the familiar taste buds: "This is pure Xidu crystal cake, with a gold surface and silver sides, crispy skin, cool tongue and teeth, sweet and delicious, it is absolutely not comparable to ordinary craftsmanship." Aunt Xin was even more surprised. This girl, how could she name such a precious pastry? But judging from her clothes, she didn't look like a child from a wealthy family, but she always gave people a feeling of being different from ordinary people. The girl in front of her was dressed in plain clothes, but she was very doted on by Westminster. She had a pair of eyes as deep as the sea, as bright as stars, but it was hard to see through her. I wonder what she was thinking. At this moment, she smiled at me innocently, her eyes curved like crescents, as if her spirit was overflowing. Between her frowns and smiles, her noble look was naturally revealed, and people couldn't help but marvel at her elegant and graceful radiance... Who could she be? It was the first time I saw Westminster doting on a girl like this, but she was just a child after all... Aunt Xin was full of doubts. Ximin gently put down the bamboo chopsticks in her hand, looked at the girl in front of her in disbelief, and said with a slight smile: "It's rare to find something you like to eat." Then she lovingly wiped the cakes off the corners of Bai Tian's mouth and said softly, "Aunt Xin, I forgot to introduce her to you. Her name is Bai Tian. She will live in our house from now on and will go to school with me in a few days. She likes cakes the most, but don't make too much for her. Just give her some once in a while. Children can't eat too much sweets, as it will damage their teeth." Seeing Aunt Xin's surprised face, Ximin explained with a smile: "She goes to my school for elementary school." "Primary school? No, brother Ximin, I went to middle school with you." Ximin said, "How can a child of such a young age go to middle school? Uncle Jiu has already contacted the teacher and he will be enrolled in the next two days." "How can I get into middle school?" I frowned. "Performance is the first and most important thing. As for age, it is secondary and there is no hard and fast requirement." Westminster raised her eyebrows. I nodded and said nothing more. In the following days, Ximin was not in the manor like Uncle Jiu. I didn't feel lonely with the company of the little black monster. After work every day, Aunt Xin saw Baitian just sitting quietly in the manor to bask in the sun. He didn't play around like other children, and he didn't cry about going home. Thinking that there were no children in the manor, I couldn't help but worry that he was bored. After breakfast that day, Aunt Xin said she would take me for a walk in the nearby park. There were many snack bars and an old street there. It was very interesting with people coming and going. Hearing Auntie say this, I also became interested. Auntie Xin's hands were warm and rough, just like my mother's hands, and I felt inexplicably at ease. Aunt Xin is so right. The quaint streets of Qinghefang are full of various snacks, silk, clothing, antiques, gifts and souvenirs. I was in high spirits and accepted all the snacks that Aunt Xin bought for me.
Aunt Xin was in a very good mood, thinking to herself, after all, it is a child, it is pitiful to leave his parents, I must be good to this child. After eating and drinking, I kept looking at the Drum Tower in front of me, because the Drum Tower is connected to the Imperial Street of the Southern Song Dynasty, and I inexplicably wanted to go and see it. Aunt Xin saw my little thoughts and asked me if I wanted to go to the Drum Tower. I nodded excitedly: "There are many snacks in the Drum Tower. I want to go and have a look." Aunt Xin agreed of course, but her face suddenly froze: "There are so many snacks, so how does she know?" Then she shook her head. She was just a few years old, so she was probably just talking casually. However, that didn't make sense. This girl had just arrived here and was unfamiliar with the place. How could she know the name and distance of the place ahead? The more I thought about it, the more incredible it seemed. Could it be that she had been brought here by her family? But Bai Tian was pulling her forward. I stopped at "Youhuichuntang", a century-old store at the Drum Tower. Back to Chuntang again? I rubbed my head, why does it feel so familiar? Standing at the door of the store, I couldn't help but mutter to myself, "Has this store always been here?" Before Aunt Xin could reply, the shopkeeper came out. He was about thirty years old, and he was patiently helping an elderly man to stagger out. The elderly man had a kind face and was very amiable. He exuded a mark that could not be erased by time, like a jar of aged wine, which became more fragrant after years of precipitation. Seeing that I was staring at him, the shopkeeper smiled and said, "The magpie chirps, it turns out that a distinguished guest has arrived. Today, a little guest has come. You are right, this is a century-old shop, no, it should be a thousand-year-old shop. How about it? What do you need?" At this time of that year, month and day, I seemed to say: Let’s stick to the old “Dongfang Aniu Paste”. In a trance, I said inexplicably sweetly: “Let’s stick to the old “Dongfang Aniu Paste”. After saying this, I patted my head hard. "Pah", the soup spoon in the centenarian's hand instantly shattered on the marble. Hearing this, the shopkeeper's face darkened... He said "wait a moment" and turned around to help the old man wipe it. "Whose child are you?" The old man stood up tremblingly, his lips trembling a little, and there was a strange light in his eyes when he looked at me. Aunt Xin's face was slightly cold, and she smiled imperceptibly: "Shopkeeper, the niece of Uncle Jiu's family." The old man stretched out his hand to signal Aunt Xin not to speak. "Is A Niu not in the store? Then can you ask A Man to make it and send it to my house? I can give him candy as a reward?" I continued, glancing around the store, but I didn't see any children in the store. "Is it Sister Tian'er?" The old man's eyes were moist and tears welled up in his eyes. He was surprised and excited. I asked curiously, "Grandpa, Ah Man calls me Sister Tian'er, how do you know me too?" The old man nodded: "Ah Man told me, he said you always gave him delicious food, what did you give him?" "Hehe, you bad boy, you told others about a piece of candy. I won't give it to you next time." I wrinkled my nose. "Can you tell me why you want "Dongfang Aniu Paste"? Do you want to eat it?" the old man asked anxiously. "Grandpa, children don't eat this. Only grandma eats it. Grandma said that Master Aniu's ointment recipe has a good control of the heat and is skilled in technique. He knows how to measure the body's body and make the ointment. For the elderly, it should be enough to make beads of water, while for the young, it should be enough to make the ointment stick like a flag. That's why it is needed?" I rubbed my head hard, wondering why I suddenly said so much, but this clear memory reminds me all the time. Aunt Xin was completely confused by the girl in front of her, and was even more confused by the shopkeeper's anxious questioning. This "Dongfang Aniu Paste" was a name she had never heard of, and now she said that her grandmother wanted a paste recipe... The old man felt like he was about to die of excitement. He wanted to speak again but he didn't have the strength to do so. He wanted to shake Bai Tian's hand but he didn't have the strength to move forward. "Grandpa, you?" The shopkeeper hurried over and supported the old man. "I understand, Tian'er, go and have fun. I'll ask Ah Man to bring it over later." I nodded, excitedly pulling Aunt Xin to continue walking towards the front street... (End of this chapter)
