My mother's love song

In ancient times when agriculture was the main productive force, once winter came, the entire society would enter a state of depression in which it would rest and recuperate.

This is true for society and the country, and it is also true for individuals.

Huangdi Neijing says: "The three months of winter are called the period of closure and storage. The water is frozen and the ground is cracked. Do not disturb the yang. Go to bed early and get up late, and wait for the daylight. Make your mind hidden and concealed. If you have any private thoughts or have achieved something, get rid of the cold and seek warmth. Do not expose your skin or your qi will be lost. This is the response of winter qi and the way to nourish and store."

Simply translated, when winter comes, we should temporarily stop our 996 work and leave our ambitions until next spring when the weather is warm and the flowers are blooming. We should hug our wives and get into bed to make babies before it gets dark.

Rhodes deeply agrees with the wisdom of his ancestors.

Early in the morning, when the first ray of sunlight appeared from the east, Rod opened his eyes.

On the rolled-up bed that had been ravaged as if by a hurricane, the two beauties who had slept with him last night were no longer there, leaving only a faint body fragrance on the pillow.

Although Rhodes preached his perverse idea that people should lie down in winter every day at home, the ghost girl Hongye and Miss He still went out to work early in the morning.

They really don't take my words as the head of the family to heart. I must teach them a lesson tonight, Rhodes chuckled.

Recently, both of them have completely integrated into human society. The ghost girl Hongye works in the capital city teaching children to play the pipa, while Miss He goes to the market to sell the clothes she weaves.

Rod took a deep breath of the fresh morning air and stretched.

The brisk footsteps of the maids could be heard outside the room. Recently, two female ghosts with big appetites often came to this mansion to eat at night, so the work of the servants became busy.

Shuten-doji appears about once a week, while Ibaraki appears every three days, and sometimes the two appear as a team.

Every time he saw the two of them appear in the yard, Rhode would wonder what the so-called Kyoto Great Barrier was protecting.

After changing his clothes, Rhodes walked out of the room and staggered to the atrium.

Sitting in the atrium was a beautiful girl with silver hair and golden eyes, a Tengu mask hanging diagonally on her head and a collar around her neck.

Gui Yifayan, who had woken up early, had been reading for an hour in the courtyard. On the table in front of her was a copy of Six Strategies.

Ever since she skipped the Art of War class and was caught and spanked by Rhode, she began to become interested in the Art of War.

“It’s incredible…”

That day, the ghost Iphagen lay on the tatami with her hands on her chin, her skirt pulled up to her knees, and her buttocks, which were beaten red by Rhodes, were exposed.

As Rod applied medicine to her butt, he asked, "What?"

“…Shh, it hurts! Master, be gentler!”

The girl said while frowning.

"Why did Master find out my whereabouts? I hid my presence well when I left home... I thought I was just as good as Master in hiding my presence."

Because you escaped to Youkuo, and Youkuo is full of my spies, silly child.

Rhodes said: "Ghost One Dharma Eye, it is natural that you don't understand, this is exactly the result of my using the art of war."

"Oh oh oh... I see! You are worthy of being my master... Ouch, it hurts!" Gui Yifayan was full of admiration.

"It's not me who's powerful, it's the art of war." Rhodes said calmly.

"Master Craftsman is here again, hehehe......"

The girl smiled cheerfully, then asked stealthily, "If I learn the art of war, can I be as good at making plans as Master Craftsman?"

"It's natural."

"...Humph, humph~ Master is lying to me again."

Gui Yifayan fell into deep thought.

From that day on, she became as serious in learning the art of war as she was in swordsmanship.

Seeing Gui Yifayan studying seriously, Rhodes felt comforted and did not disturb her. He just took the Chinese steamed buns for breakfast from the maid and sat down far away in the corner of the courtyard.

Rhodes was quite satisfied with his disciple Gui Yifayan.

She is not only diligent and studious but also has amazing comprehension. She can master both swordsmanship and magic with just a little guidance.

As her teacher, Rhodes continued to unlock achievements as if he had a golden finger, and gained a great sense of satisfaction in the teaching process.

In addition, Gui Yi Fa Yan is humble and polite, and respects Rhodes very much. After he has learned a certain skill, he will immediately flatter him enthusiastically, saying "My apprentice is stupid, and it is all thanks to your good teaching, Master."

And she really seemed to think so.

For all these reasons, Rhodes was very concerned about this disciple and even spent more time with Gui Yifayan than with his wives.

If one must find fault with this guy, it would be that she smells like an old man.

Like the night before last, for example.

Rhodes was taking a leisurely bath in the bathtub at home when he heard Gui Yifayan's voice behind him.

"Master! Let me wash your back for you."

"Oh, you're just in time. Thank you for your help."

Then a slender and thin sumo wrestler appeared in front of Rod.

With his hands on his hips and his legs wide apart, Gui Yifayan, wearing only a white loincloth, stood there, looking majestic and upright.

"...Usually they would wrap themselves in a bath towel." Rhodes said with a trembling mouth.

There were more than ten people living in the Fujiwara family, including servants. Except for Rhodes, they were all young women, and all of them shared the same bathhouse.

Rhodes and Xiangzi usually take a bath after dinner, while the servants usually use the bathhouse after their masters fall asleep.

Although Musashi, Hongye, Miss Tsuru and Noko who often come here to take a bath are all Rhodes' wives, he still has to pay attention to the family atmosphere because this is not Rome.

So in the bathing area, everyone will wrap themselves in a bath towel.

By the way, Shuten-douji and Ibaraki-douji have been coming here every now and then to take a bath recently. It seems that there are no open-air hot springs on Mt. Oe.

Rhodes looked at the ghost's eye, which was as white as snow, for a few seconds, then turned away.

The girl swaggered into the bath and said to him with a smile: "Master, are you shy? Hehehe... I don't mind if Master sees me.

Compared with your usual care and love for me, this little bit of gratitude is nothing, so you’re welcome, you’re welcome.”

"Who would be shy about a brat like you?"

Rhode said disdainfully: "Also, I never expected anything in return from you. I will be satisfied as long as you don't get into trouble under my name in the future."

"Tsk. I thought the master would be happier and would teach me secret techniques when he was happy, but it turns out that he can't..."

After failing in his seduction attempt, Gui Yifayan curled his lips in resentment and placed a bench in front of him.

"Come, sit down here, please."

"…It's a little bit tricky. I can't be happy to see my disciple dressed like a sumo wrestler."

In fact, he was quite happy overall, but Rhodes didn't say it out loud.

He sat down with his back to Gui Yifayan, and the girl took a towel and began to wash the boy's back.

Gui Yifayan rubbed her back with the towel so vigorously that it even made Rhodes feel pain on his back. It seemed that she thought that the greater her strength, the more it could reflect her admiration.

"Speaking of which, Master Craftsman."

The ghost's Dharma Eye suddenly came up from behind.

Rhodes could smell the faint fragrance emanating from the girl's neck, and she said mysteriously.

"I took a bath with your two wives a few days ago..."

I'm talking about Xiangzi and Nuozi, right? Guiyi Hōgan always calls them "Mrs. Xiangzi" and "Mrs. Nuozi", although Murasaki Shikibu is not Rhodes' woman at all.

"what happened?"

"Why do ladies act like children even though they are already adults?"

"?"

Rhodes frowned and asked in confusion: "What do you mean?"

Gui Yi Fa Yan did not give a direct answer, but said with a sly smile: "Hehe, could it be that this is Master Craftsman's interest?"

Rhode read the mockery in her expression and said displeasedly: "Huh? Guiyi, what have you been talking about since just now?"

"Oh my, don't be embarrassed."

Gui Yifayan patted his shoulder with an expression as if he understood everything.

Rhodes had heard such a statement before.

In the bathhouse, because everyone is open with each other, people take off the disguise called clothes and return to their true selves like in the Garden of Eden. At this time, the relationship between people will be more relaxed than usual.

Maybe this is why Gui Yifayan seems a little disrespectful today.

"Master, you are also a man. I can understand your feelings~"

"No, you are a woman, you can't understand a man."

The girl's cheeks flushed as she continued, "Well... it would be more pleasing to the eye, right?

After seeing it with my own eyes, I also thought, “Ah, it’s really great…”

As expected of you, Master, you have great taste! You are good at discovering the beauty of women. I admire you even more!"

"…………"

Rhodes seemed to know what this guy was talking about. It was really a dirty topic.

"I didn't do anything to them. Xiangzi and Nuozi were born that way."

"Hehehe...Master, don't be embarrassed."

Gui Yifa hooked his eyes around Rhode's neck and said with a smile, "It's every man's dream to transform the woman he likes into the way he wants."

Rhode slapped her arm away: "What I said is true, they are born that way."

Gui Yifayan was stunned for a moment, and only said, "Really?"

"real."

"…………"

Gui Yi Fa Yan was petrified on the spot, looking like he had suffered a great shock.

Rhodes glanced at her and said, "Can I ask what happened?"

The girl's face turned red, and she hung her head and shook it desperately.

This was the first time such a situation had occurred. In the past, when faced with Rhodes' questions, Gui Yi Fa Yan always answered them with all he knew.

But now she was in a very depressed mood and was unwilling to tell Rhodes what happened.

The sense of responsibility as a master burned in his heart. He placed his hand on the girl's fair and soft hand and said gently:

"Tell me what happened. I will help you find a way to get through this together."

"Master Craftsman..."

Gui Yifayan raised his head with a trembling voice.

Rhodes was surprised to find tears in the corners of her eyes.

“Wuwaaaaaaaaaaa! Master, wahhhhhhh!!! I can’t get married anymore, wahhhhhhhhh!!!”

Gui Yifayan burst into tears.

Rhodes frowned and was about to speak when Gui Yifayan threw himself into his arms, and the two of them fell directly from the bench to the ground.

The young man was pressed to the ground by Gui Yifayan. He said nothing, but just gently stroked the back of her head.

After a long while, the crying gradually stopped.

The girl sniffed, then buried her face in Rhodes' arms and started to act coquettishly.

Seeing that her mood seemed to have improved a little, Rhodes asked again.

"Gui Yi, what happened...were you bullied by a man?"

The girl blushed and shook her head.

Rhodes said: "No matter what happens, I will stand by your side, because you are my most important and lovely disciple."

Gui Yifayan nodded gently: "...Yes, I understand. Master."

"Good boy."

Rhodes continued to touch her head gently. The girl was quiet for a moment and finally spoke.

"Because... I think if I do this, Master might be happier and will love me even more in the future, so..."