Although Xiao Juzi worried that her mistress would be taken advantage of by Zhang Xiaohua, she could not manage it alone and feared pursuit by the bad men, so she could only pinch her nose and let Zhang Xiaohua help. Fortunately, Zhang Xiaohua was something of a gentleman. With his eyes closed, he even solemnly wrapped his hands in clothing as he helped Xiao Juzi support Miss Nie, and they smoothly changed her into Agriculturalists' clothes.
Only after the clothes had been changed did Zhang Xiaohua open his eyes. He could not help praising her. "Xiao Juzi, look at your mistress. Wearing Agriculturalists' clothes, she looks even more authentic than me, a genuine farmer's son. Could your family originally have been country landlords?"
With a "Pah," Xiao Juzi nearly spat in Zhang Xiaohua's face again. This fellow looked utterly ordinary and unremarkable. That morning, he had still been a bookworm with a serious, proper manner—how had he become so glib-tongued after only one morning? And why did she herself keep wanting to spit at him?
"Ah, let's have some water first. Once we've had enough moisture, then we can talk."
Xiao Juzi shot Zhang Xiaohua an irritated look, picked up the waterskin from the carriage, and gulped down several mouthfuls in succession.
After she finished drinking, she thought for a moment, then handed it to Zhang Xiaohua. "Ren Xiaoyao, you've been busy all morning without drinking a drop of water. It's been hard on you, hasn't it? Have some too."
Zhang Xiaohua smiled and accepted it, but the instant the waterskin passed into his hand, Xiao Juzi regretted it. What was she thinking? She had just drunk directly from its mouth. If Zhang Xiaohua drank from it the same way, wouldn't that be, in a roundabout way...
At that thought,