I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 999: Tianzhangyuan in White Pure White [5000]

“We still have decades to go.”, “There’s a long way to go, take your time.”... Such words really sound like those of a newlywed couple still immersed in their “happiness period”.

Facing Qing Deng's teasing, Tian Zhangyuan's face turned even redder - eh? Is she someone who blushes so easily - Qing Deng thought belatedly.

After all, people like Awu who blush easily are a minority.

In his impression, Tian Zhangyuan was not the kind of person who would be shy or blush easily.

But the strange thing is that he frequently saw the other person blushing with embarrassment today.

At this time, Tian Zhangyuan finally came back to his senses from his daze and responded, interrupting Qing Deng's thoughts.

Then she lowered her head slightly, then raised her eyes and looked up at Qing Deng fiercely, looking upset.

With a red face and glaring at him in this posture... Qing Deng didn't know what other people thought. Anyway, he didn't think that such a glare was scary. Instead, he found it somewhat cute.

"It's natural!"

She said loudly, suppressing her panic.

"'Playing house' must be realistic to be interesting."

"It's just that your words came so suddenly that I was a little scared - that's all."

After her clumsy defense, she hastily looked away and picked up the chopsticks in front of her as if to evade the question.

"Come on, let's eat! I'm starting!"

As long as Qing Deng wanted, he could tease Tian Zhang Yuan further and "pursue her relentlessly".

However, he didn't do this.

He smiled slightly, and then whispered, "I'm starting."

The two of them quietly picked up their bowls and chopsticks and enjoyed today's lunch together.

The crisp sound of chopsticks touching dishes filled the entire room.

Just like how it looks, the meal really doesn't taste that good.

Sticky rice, greasy fried tofu, tasteless stew... although not inedible, it's to the point where you'll blacklist this restaurant forever after eating there once.

However, Qing Deng ate with gusto.

The quality of this meal was naturally far inferior to his usual meals.

As early as when he became a "sidekick and servant in the imperial court", Qing Deng's daily diet level had reached the top level in the world.

Top-quality ingredients such as beef and mutton, which are simply not available to ordinary people, are regular guests on Qingdeng’s table.

Logically speaking, he shouldn't think that the meal at that moment would be delicious.

Qing Deng thought about it for a moment and quickly came up with the answer.

When was the last time you had a leisurely meal?

Even though he had the gift of a photographic memory, he had no impression of it.

In his memory, he has been in a tense state of racing against time, working day and night in recent months.

When one war ended, they rushed to the next one without stopping... They crossed most of Japan, from Choshu to Kanto.

Even after he expelled the Fach coalition and the "Ichibashi faction", bringing the war to a temporary end, he was still busy.

First, he prepared for the "Mito Conquest", and then he officially set out to destroy Mito and clear out Kanto.

Even the leisure time we have now was squeezed out in the "transition period" between "pre-war mobilization" and "the start of the war."

The extremely busy life and the turbulent world situation... Qing Deng's mind has become numb over time.

And now, he temporarily left the magnificent Edo Castle and came to an ordinary house that can be seen everywhere.

In a simple living room.

Eating home cooked meals.

Next to him is Princess Tenshoin, who is temporarily acting as his wife.

All of the above gave him an indescribable sense of peace.

As soon as he thought of this, his facial lines unconsciously relaxed, the corners of his lips slightly curled up, and a faint smile emerged.

This feels so good...

The originally tense nerves in my body gradually relaxed.

This fulfilling and warm feeling gradually seeped into Qing Deng's heart.

At this moment, Qing Deng just wanted time to slow down.

Slow down...slow down...

Let this peace last forever...

……

……

The amount of food that Tianzhangyuan packed for Qingdeng was really too much.

It took him a lot of effort to finally finish all the food on the table, leaving no residue.

After dinner, Tianzhangyuan cleaned up the mess diligently.

She picked up the empty bowls and plates and carried them to the kitchen.

Since he was free anyway, Qing Deng decided to go forward and help.

Moreover, he really couldn't bear to see Tianzhangyuan busying around while he was indifferent.

In fact, he had wanted to go over to help when Tianzhangyuan was busy cooking.

However, because Tianzhangyuan's desire to "hold the spoon with his own hands" was very strong, he was afraid that his kindness would hurt his self-esteem, so he stayed obediently in the living room and did not step into the kitchen.

At this moment, when he stood up and wanted to help Tianzhangyuan clean up the dishes, he was sternly rejected by the other party.

"It's just moving some dishes, no need to help."

She said this with a firm attitude.

Helplessly, Qing Deng could only sit there, drinking tea and watching Tianzhangyuan's figure.

Although it is unclear whether this was unintentional or someone instructed her to do so, it has to be admitted that her appearance is indeed that of an "ordinary wife of the Wu family".

Especially the point about "not wearing socks", which is full of life.

In the Edo period, wives who needed to work - whether they were samurai or commoners - would not wear socks.

Qing Deng rarely had the chance to see Tian Zhangyuan's bare feet on weekdays - because she always wore socks.

Tianzhangyuan's insteps are very full, the joints at the ankles are clearly defined, the arches are relatively high, and the skin is fair and rosy. They are simply a pair of exquisite works of art rarely seen in the world.

Her bare feet stepped quickly on the clean wooden corridor, making seductive "click" and "click" sounds.

Perhaps due to his frequent martial arts training, Tianzhangyuan's movements are very agile.

In just a few moments, she cleaned up the two dining tables.

She didn't seem to be planning on doing the dishes.

After piling all the dishes and chopsticks in the kitchen, she leisurely returned to Qing Deng.

She glanced at the sky outside the window and smiled:
"Husband, the weather is nice today, shall we go out for a walk together?"

There was no reason to refuse - Qing Deng nodded slightly to show his agreement.

……

……

Qing Deng's preparations for going out were very simple.

Just equip yourself with two swords, wear a bamboo hat, and put on straw sandals - that's it.

In comparison, the preparation time for Tianzhangyuan was much longer.

Qing Deng stood in the dirt, waiting quietly.

About five minutes later, an apologetic voice came over:

"Sorry to have kept you waiting. This dress doesn't fit me well..."

"It's okay, it didn't take too long."

Qing Deng said as he looked in the direction of the voice.

But Tenshoin was seen wearing a thick dark blue haori in addition to his original clothes, a scarf around his neck, a bamboo hat with a worm wing sewn on it in his hands, and thick white socks on his feet.

[Note: The hanging silk sewn on the edge of the bamboo hat is usually made of transparent gauze. When the women of the samurai family go out, they often wear such bamboo hats.]

Just like Sanako likes blue, Souji likes purple, Kinoshita Mai likes red, and Elodie likes yellow, Tenshoin also has her preferred color - she likes cyan very much.

Whether in public or in private, her attire is always mainly blue.

Tianzhangyuan said her clothes didn't fit her well.

Qing Deng looked around quickly and found that this was indeed the case.

Her shoulders, waist and other parts are well-fitting.

But there is one place that seems a little tight due to its superior development.

Although he was dressed neatly, there was a bulge at the collar of his clothes.

The off-white belt wrapped around its belly was struggling to support the two heavy objects.

As she walked towards Qing Deng, she was still adjusting the position of her collar.

Qing Deng was not surprised by this - because Sanako often had such troubles.

"Ms. sir, let's go."

As she spoke, she walked down the dirt floor, slipping on a pair of two-toothed green clogs.

Qing Deng nodded, turned around and pushed open the door.

The two of them walked out of the door one after the other.

The weather today is really nice.

The long-lost warm winter sun hangs high in the sky, spreading bursts of warmth.

Click, click, click - accompanied by three crisp sounds of wooden clogs hitting the ground, Tian Zhangyuan took two quick steps, caught up with Qing Deng, came to his left side, and walked side by side with him.

They were so close to each other that they were almost touching each other.

Qing Deng could feel her body temperature and breath.

Just by turning his head, he could see every detail on the other person's face, even counting every eyelash.

Under the warm sun, Tianzhangyuan's skin reflects a soft glow, which is truly "transparent white". Qingdeng always forgets Tianzhangyuan's exact age.

It's not that he doesn't care about the other person.

The reason for this is all due to Tianzhangyuan’s “frozen age”.

The "God of Time" seems to be particularly fond of her, and the flow of time for her is much slower than for others.

She was obviously much older than Qing Deng, but she actually looked only one or two years older than him.

It was because of this that Qing Deng's senses were always confused and he often forgot the specific age of Hun Tian Zhang Yuan.

However, he always remembered that Tian Zhangyuan was 6 years older than him - according to modern calculations, when he was still a sixth-grade elementary school student, Tian Zhangyuan was already a female college student.

He is 23 years old this year.

In other words, Tianzhangyuan is 29 years old this year and is almost 30.

At this age, she is definitely an old aunt... no, even more than an old aunt, she is between "old aunt" and "old grandmother".

In the Edo period, when early marriage and early childbearing were common, it was not uncommon for women to become grandmothers in their early thirties.

However, time has not left any traces of vicissitudes on him, but has instead given him new "wealth".

As she grows older, a more mature charm gradually appears in her brows and behavior.

This charm is hard to describe... It is a very special charm, different from Sanako's aloofness, Souji's vitality and Kinoshita Mai's gentleness.

When Qing Deng came to his senses, he suddenly found that his eyes had been attracted by Tianzhang Courtyard and had not been moved away for a long time.

Tian Zhangyuan noticed his gaze a little late and asked doubtfully:

"Ms. sir, what's wrong?"

Qing Deng looked away and said half-jokingly:
"Nothing, I just suddenly felt emotional... After so many years, your appearance has not changed, you are still so beautiful."

After hearing this, Tian Zhangyuan burst into laughter:

"'All these years have passed'...you say that as if we have known each other for decades."

She paused, then continued:

"Your appearance hasn't changed in my opinion."

Qing Deng was startled:
"Hmm? Impossible? I look much more mature than before. If you are flattering me, your words are far-fetched."

"I'm not flattering you. I'm telling the truth. In my eyes, your appearance has not changed."

Having said this, she turned around, half-closed her eyes, a smile on her lips, and stared straight at Qing Deng:

"Always so heroic and extraordinary that I am dazzled."

The answer that had never been imagined made Qing Deng's expression freeze.

Not knowing how to react, he looked at the road ahead to hide his embarrassment.

Funny enough, at the same time, Tian Zhangyuan was also embarrassed by her words.

Her pretty face was slightly red, and she and Qing Deng looked straight ahead.

Looking at the straight road ahead, Qing Deng changed the subject abruptly:
"Yuyi, is there any place you want to go?"

Tian Zhangyuan took over the conversation with a knowing smile:
"There's no particular place I want to go, so I'll just wander around."

……

……

Her words "just strolling around" were not aimless.

The two of them had no specific destination, they just walked straight ahead, going wherever they went.

As far as Qing Deng could remember, this was the first time he went out alone with Tian Zhang Yuan.

Unfortunately, the devastation of two consecutive wars dealt a severe blow to the living environment of Edo.

No matter where you go, you can only see dilapidated and deserted scenes.

In many places there were not even any pedestrians, it was eerily quiet.

Even busy areas like Edo Bridge and Ryogoku Hirokoji were extremely deserted.

The Faqi coalition attacked first, and then the "Ichibashi faction" rebelled... The warriors and people of Edo were all afraid of the continuous war.

Even wealthy families with solid financial resources could not bear the pain of "frequently avoiding war disasters."

Therefore, although the "Second Edo Siege War" had ended, the warriors and civilians who had fled did not return immediately.

They all wanted to wait until the situation was completely stabilized before returning to Edo.

This is human nature and cannot be blamed.

Although Edo was in great decline at the time, I still had a lot of fun visiting Aoto and Tenshoin.

Especially in Tianzhangyuan, no matter where she went, her eyes were shining, and she would pull Qingdeng's sleeve from time to time, pointing here and there.

"Husband, look! It's a pine tree! Let's go enjoy the pine trees!"

"It's just a pine tree... How can I appreciate it?"

"Hehehe, my husband, don't you know this? As long as there are pine trees in your heart, there will be dense pine forests everywhere!"

……

"Husband, look! There's a kitten on the wall! Meow~~ meow~~ meow~~"

"The cat must be thinking: Damn, idiot, this woman's cat language is terrible, why did she say to me 'Eating cucumber and licking honey at the same time will taste like barbecue'"

"Don't say such a depressing thing!"

……

"Husband, are you hungry?"

"I see. I'll go get the grilled squid now."

"I, I haven't said anything yet!"

"The way you stared at the grilled squid stall has betrayed your inner thoughts."

“Mmm…!”

……

There are many meaningless conversations like this.

However, Qing Deng did not dislike this kind of ordinary and boring interaction.

Rather, he enjoyed it.

In fact, even he himself did not realize that he had unknowingly lost himself in the repeated calls of "husband".

Humans are indeed creatures that are very adaptable to the environment.

He no longer felt uncomfortable when Tianzhangyuan called him "husband".

Even... he almost forgot that he and the other party were playing "house"...

……

……

The more you indulge in something, the faster time will pass.

Qing Deng felt that he went out with Tian Zhangyuan just a second ago.

But at this second, it was already dark.

Looking at the darkening sky, Qing Deng asked:

"Yuyi, how about it? Do you want to go back?"

Tian Zhangyuan shook his head without hesitation:
"Husband, there's a place I really want to go, it's not far from here, can you go with me?"

Qing Deng also answered without hesitation:

"Of course. Where do you want to go?"

Tianzhangyuan smiled meaningfully:
"Come with me. You'll know when you get there."

As she spoke, she turned in another direction and took two steps at a time.

Qing Deng followed closely behind.

She wasn't lying, the destination was indeed not far away.

After a moment, she stopped - there was a simple little shrine in front of her.

Qing Deng glanced around and found a stone statue of a fox at the entrance of the shrine - a typical feature of Inari Shrine.

"Yuyi, where is this?"

A strange expression appeared on Tianzhangyuan's face.

"Follow me quickly!"

After saying that, she yanked Qing Deng's sleeve without saying anything, and they walked quickly into the shrine, one in front of the other.

After entering the shrine, Qing Deng keenly discovered that there seemed to be no one in the shrine.

Soon, they broke into the silent temple.

Tianzhangyuan pushed Qingdeng into a small room next to the shrine - the room was connected to the shrine.

"Husband, wait here for a while! Come out when I call you!"

"Yuyi, what on earth is this..."

"I'll explain it to you later! Remember, come out when I call you!"

After saying that, Tianzhangyuan closed the door with force.

The overwhelming plot development left Qing Deng confused.

Although he was confused, he faithfully followed Tianzhangyuan's request and stayed in the room obediently.

Tianzhangyuan didn't keep him waiting for long.

20 minutes later, he heard the voice from Tianzhangyuan:
"My husband, you can come out now."

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng pushed open the door impatiently, left the room and entered the temple.

Then... the scene before his eyes made him stand there in a daze.

In the center of the temple, Tianzhangyuan, wearing a holy white robe, looked at him with a smile.

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PS: It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a lighthearted plot. It was such a pleasure to write! From the launch of the “Changzhou Expedition”, Baobaozi wrote about the battles for nearly three months. My brain is almost numb from writing!