God's Gift

Time flies, and two days passed in a flash.

Fang Ling and Ning Jin's wedding date was set hastily. There was a good time for the wedding half a month later. The Fang family was not in a hurry, but Ning Yue finalized the matter directly.

At this time, everyone in the city started to get busy, and every shop was preparing for this grand wedding.

Fang Ling finally stopped wandering around the city every day. He often worked until dark before returning home. Although his time was packed, he felt more satisfied than ever before.

However, the general's mansion was as quiet as usual. There was no festive atmosphere in the mansion, and it was desolate and cold.

According to custom, two people cannot see each other again before getting married. Ning Jin and Fang Ling have not seen each other for a long time.

Ning Jin sat under the eaves, her intricate and gorgeous red skirt spread out layer by layer on the floor. Her bloodless skin looked even sicker against the bright red background, like a poppy that had once bloomed magnificently but now had lost its moisture and withered.

She was like a sculpture, her dark eyes staring at the dead peach tree in the yard. Time passed slowly, and she seemed to have been sitting here for a long time.

It was not until a rustling sound came from the wall that Ning Jin turned his head stiffly, staring at the wall with his dark eyes.

A hemp rope was thrown over from the other side of the wall, with a bamboo basket tied to the end of the rope.

There were some scattered things in the bamboo basket.

Ning Jin stood up from the ground, walked towards the wall, and looked up at the bamboo basket that was brought into the yard.

Fang Ling on the other side of the wall lowered the rope little by little. When the bamboo basket fell to the ground, he moved to the side and poured out the contents of the basket.

Ning Jin squatted down, looked at the items that had spilled on the ground, and picked up an oil-paper bag with his hand.

The oil paper package gave off a faint chestnut aroma. Ning Jin opened the package and saw the still warm chestnut crisps inside.

Feeling that the bamboo basket had become lighter, Fang Ling picked it up again. Ning Jin looked at the childish trick, and a smile appeared in his statue-like eyes. He looked at the basket with interest.

After a while, the basket was brought in again.

However, this time, the bamboo basket contained a tightly sealed ceramic jar with a note and a lotus flower placed next to the jar.

Before the basket fell, Ning Jin raised his hand and took out the jar. Fang Ling on the other side of the wall felt the basket lighten, and a smile immediately appeared on his face. He shouted:

"Ajin, you are here!"

"What are you doing?" Ning Jin opened the jar. There were two crickets in the jar. They hid in the shadows because they were suddenly exposed to the light.

Fang Ling stood by the wall, with a smile on her face, and answered with a voice full of joy:

"My father said that I can't see you before the wedding, but I'm afraid you'll be bored alone. And since I have wedding matters to discuss with the general today, I'm sending you some things."

He seemed to have a lot to say, and kept saying:

"I have been in the city these days preparing for the wedding. Ajin's wedding dress will be ready soon and the embroiderer will deliver it in a few days. Ajin, take a look. If it doesn't fit or you don't like the pattern, ask the embroiderers to take it back for alterations. Don't rush."

"Everything in the mansion has been prepared. I have asked the general in detail about the decorations that Ajin likes in the mansion. They are all arranged according to Ajin's daily needs. It will be difficult for Ajin to adapt when he comes here."

Fang Ling's eyes were bright when he talked about this. He didn't feel tired at all and kept talking:

"I just put some interesting things in the yard that I found while shopping in the city these days. Jin, you can take a look and see if you like them. If you don't, I'll bring you new ones every day."

Ning Jin stood by the wall, quietly listening to Fang Ling's voice, which was as clear as the sound of water in summer but not noisy. He looked up at the cloudless sky and gradually became lost in thought.

"There are also chestnut crisps in it." Fang Ling put his hands behind his back, and the smile on his face did not diminish at all even though he was facing the wall.

"During the Dragon Boat Festival, Ah Jin said she wanted to eat chestnut crisps. I wanted to bring some the next day, but I was busy proposing marriage, so I put it aside for the time being."

"I don't know which chestnut pastry Ajin likes, so I bought some from the most famous pastry shop in the city. Ajin, try it. If you don't like this one, I'll go to another one tomorrow."

"Today, when I passed by Qingwan Pond, I found that the lotus flowers there were all in bloom, so I picked one and brought it here."

"And those two crickets..." Fang Ling thought of the stupid things he did when he was a child, blushed, and said:

"When I was little, I didn't know anything, so I just threw a lot of crickets into Ajin's courtyard. I wanted to share the fun of cricket fighting with you, but I ended up making a mess."

"So I went to the Washe a few days ago and bought two high-quality crickets, so Ajin can see them this time."

He was talking about fragmented hours, but the enthusiasm in his voice seemed never to fade, like a sunflower blooming in the sun, strong and brilliant.

Realizing that he had said a lot and Ning Jin had not spoken, Fang Ling thought that he had talked too much. He scratched his hair in embarrassment and said in a somewhat confusing manner:

"Ajin, please don't think I talk too much. These past few days, I was so happy that I couldn't sleep all night thinking about how I would get married to Ajin soon. I always felt full of energy. When I saw Ajin, I couldn't help but talk more."

Ning Jin heard Fang Ling's somewhat annoyed voice, and the corners of his mouth curved up, and he replied: "You didn't see me."

"Although there is a wall between us, I am satisfied just to hear Ajin's voice." Fang Ling's smile turned a little ashamed, and he muttered:

"Actually, it's not okay to talk to you like this. I wanted to quietly send it here and leave, but I didn't expect Ajin to still be here..."

Before Fang Ling finished speaking, she heard a voice coming from the wall, "Now that we've talked, let's meet."

Fang Ling's eyes widened for a moment, and he immediately looked up, and saw Ah Jin wearing a dark red silk dress, sitting on the wall leaning against the shade of a tree. She smiled gently as she looked at Fang Ling's astonished expression below, and asked softly:

"Why are you scared now?"

"No, no!" Fang Ling looked anxious, looking at Ning Jin on the wall, and stretched out his hands to protect him from below, "Ajin, come down quickly, this wall is dangerous, don't fall!"

The smile in Ning Jin's eyes spread out like the lake water blown by the breeze. Looking at Fang Ling's frightened expression, he stood up and pounced forward.

Like a light and fragile dead leaf, it gracefully fell into Fang Ling's arms.