Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 863 - 861_1

Chapter 863: Chapter 861_1

On hearing General Di’s words, Xiao’er chuckled. It seemed that many parents in this world were like this, no matter how old their children got or how accomplished they became, they would never stop worrying. They always saw their children as children, feeling reassured only when they were by their side.

"General Di, Brother Di is now a father of two and a skilled military leader, you should believe that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!" laughed Xiao’er.

"His greatest accomplishment is giving me a lovely granddaughter. Ah, I wonder what my granddaughter looks like now." General Di had only met his granddaughter once. Recalling the delicate and beautiful little girl, he yearned to see her and wished he could fly back to the Imperial Capital instantly.

On hearing this, Xiao’er offered, "General Di, want to know what Xiaoxiao looks like now? I can draw her for you!"

General Di’s eyes lit up at these words. He knew that Princess Rui was an extraordinary painter.

Though he felt a bit cheeky, he couldn’t resist asking, "Would that be too much trouble?"

After uttering those words, General Di sneaked a glance at Shangguan Xuanyi, relieved to note that he didn’t object.

That was his only granddaughter. He thought she resembled him at first glance (which was purely Mr. General’s delusion of grandeur). He hadn’t seen her for nearly a year and wondered if she had grown crooked!

"Not at all. I’m just idling away! General Di, please wait a moment, let me fetch my brushes and paints," said Xiao’er before scampering off towards the cabin.

Shortly afterward, Xiao’er came out carrying a stack of paper and brushes, Yang Liu with an easel, and Yang Mei holding a set of oil paints.

Xiao’er quickly set up the materials, put on her apron and sleeve protectors, and then delved into her memory to capture Xiaoxiao’s most adorable expression on paper.

As Princess Rui painted, the soldiers gathered on the deck to marvel.

With a lifetime, or rather two, of practice, Xiao’er was incredibly proficient in portrait painting.

Soon, she finished a painting of Xiaoxiao, with furrowed brows and a piece of broccoli clutched in her tiny hands, glaring at the leafy nemesis.

The look in her eyes was as if the offending vegetable would combust under her fierce gaze.

Upon seeing his granddaughter’s expression, General Di couldn’t help but burst into laughter, "Ha! She takes after me, my little descendant! Hating vegetables as much as me. All my life, I’ve despised veggies, only having a taste for meat!"

A general overhead this and playfully asked, "But aren’t you ashamed of such picky eating habits? Why do you see it as something to brag about, General?"

"Why should it not be something to brag about? In this short life, we should eat whatever we love! My granddaughter is like me, of course, I take pride in that! Off with you, you just won’t understand since you don’t have a granddaughter!"

"Children should have balanced diets for optimal health," Xiao’er interjected as she removed the completed drawing and adjoined a blank page, then started a new portrait of Xiaoxiao, intently listening to her tutor.

"Such bad parenting from that cheeky kid, Di Shaowei! Doesn’t he know how to coax Xiaoxiao into eating vegetables? Look how thin my little granddaughter is!" General Di lamented at his son’s negligence.

Thin?! The soldiers and other generals were speechless at General Di’s remark. They could clearly see from the painting that the little girl looked quite round and chubby.

Xiao’er was dumbfounded by General Di’s words. After she finished two portraits of Xiaoxiao, she turned to General Di, "General Di, how about I do a portrait of you too? We can send it back to the Imperial Capital so that Xiaoxiao can see her grandpa looking all grand and magnificent!"

General Di was quick to nod his approval, "Princess Rui, do remember to paint me looking gentle! We don’t want to frighten Xiaoxiao!"

With that, he tried squeezing out what he thought was a gentle expression.

The soldiers and generals couldn’t suppress their laughter, "General, is that your gentle smile? It looks as though you’re crying!"

"Exactly, you look even fiercer when you smile! How scary! Princess Rui, could I have an extra painting of the general? I’ll scare my naughty child with it!"

"True, I want one as well. I can hang it on the front door as a talisman warding off any evil spirits from entering the house!"

...

Huffing and glaring, General Di shooed them away, declaring a close to their spectatorship.

Later, Xiao’er made a portrait for each of them. They could send it home to their parents or wives once they landed. Many of these soldiers hadn’t been home for years!

Being able to send a ’recent photo’ home would serve as a sign of safety to their families, showing that all was well.

This was the least Xiao’er could do for the soldiers. After all, it was their sacrifice and vigilance that allowed the common folk to live in peace.

Leaning against the guardrail, Shangguan Xuanyi watched his girl with a smile as she garnered a wave of praises. No matter where she was, she always had the ability to shine, making her the only scenery in his eyes.

The night grew deeper, but everyone was too excited to sleep. Guided by the flickering candlelight, Xiao’er continued to churn out one portrait after another.

...

The big ship had been sailing on the calm sea for two days and two nights. On the third day, they were greeted by a gusty wind just as dawn broke.

Xiao’er was awakened by the wind. She sat up straight away.

With his eyes still closed, Shangguan Xuanyi wrapped his long arm around Xiao’er’s waist and pulled her back into his arms. Burying his head into Xiao’er’s neck and giving it a little nudge, Shangguan Xuanyi murmured, "It’s still early. Let’s sleep a little more."

All this late-night painting had made her rise early, which would inevitably lead to exhaustion later.

The big wind made the ship sway gently, making sleep incredibly restful and tempting Shangguan Xuanyi to stay in bed.

After all, there was nothing urgent this morning, so why not lazy around in bed?

"No more sleeping! The winds are up. Brother Shangguan, let’s get up, have breakfast and go surfing!" Xiao’er gently pushed Shangguan Xuanyi away, slipped into the room to freshen up and collected the necessary gear for surfing.

Mandatory surfing equipment involved a surfboard, a rudder, a leash, a bar of wax, etc.

On hearing this, Shangguan Xuanyi also sprang up.

Arriving on the deck with all the surfing gears, they found General Di just finishing up morning drills with the soldiers. Seeing their small boats, he inquired curiously, "Prince Shangguan, Princess, what are you two up to?"

"We’re going surfing! Keep an eye on us, it’s loads of fun! If anyone wants to try after us, feel free to give it a shot!"

Surfing? What’s that?

Although perplexed, General Di was intrigued. He positioned himself on the prow of the ship to watch the fascinating spectacle of these two ’tide tamers’ joyously surfing wave after wave.

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