Chapter 4, Horizontal Blow

Qiao Ying looked at Sun Shao in surprise. Why was this young master, who never entered the kitchen, going there today? From his tone, it seemed he intended to prepare some delicious food for Da Qiao. Not only was she astonished, but both Da Qiao and Qiao Yue were equally surprised, looking at Sun Shao in unison

Sun Shao chuckled softly, realizing that his flute bore some resemblance to the horizontal flute mentioned by Qiao Yue, yet they were not the same instrument. He stood up, sheathed his knife, and strode towards the backyard.

Madam, please take a couple more bites." Qiao Ying looked at Da Qiao with concern

Sun Shao, feeling somewhat pleased with himself, took the bamboo flute, placed it at his lips, licked them, gathered his breath, and began to play. Although the bamboo flute was made in haste, its tone was still quite pleasant. The melodious sound of the flute soared from the instrument, and the cheerful rhythm lifted everyone's spirits. The youngest, Qiao Yue, listened with her brows dancing in delight; had it not been for her mother and the lady of the house being present, she might have danced gracefully. Even Qiao Ying, who was in middle age, and the usually composed Da Qiao, showed signs of joy on their faces.

Although Daqiao appeared to be cheerful and at ease in conversation with Sun Shao, there was a hint of disinterest in his expression. She felt somewhat guilty, thinking that her words had once again dampened his spirits. Sun Shao's willingness to accompany her to the Zhou family's banquet was largely out of respect for her; otherwise, given his relationship with the three siblings of the Zhou family, he would not have attended at all. With this sense of gratitude in mind, Daqiao became more attentive and subtly praised Sun Shao a few times.

Daqiao looked at the short flute made by Sun Shao and was somewhat puzzled. She picked it up and examined it from various angles, pointing at the bamboo membrane that had just been affixed to the blowing mouth, and asked, "Aman, what is this? It seems like a transverse flute but is not quite one. What is this membrane for?"

I really can't eat anymore. Daqiao weakly waved her hand, her complexion growing increasingly pale, and seeing all this meat made her feel nauseous.

"Indeed, young master, you used to enjoy playing the horizontal flute," Qiaoyue said, somewhat puzzled as she touched her head. "However, the horizontal flute doesn't seem to be this long, nor does it have this many holes. Young master, did you make a mistake? It seems to be missing a mouthpiece."

Sun Shao was hungry, so he first took a sip of soup from the pot, then grabbed some rice and stuffed it into his mouth. Although chopsticks were available during the Han Dynasty, people did not use them for eating; instead, they used their hands to grab the rice, forming it into a ball to bring to their mouths. Good rice was characterized by being able to be formed into a ball that, when released, would not stick together. When Sun Shao first ate this kind of rice, he found it quite uncomfortable, but after more than ten days, he had managed to accept it to some extent. After swallowing several mouthfuls of rice to fill his stomach, he finally picked up the bamboo chopsticks, picked up some meat and green vegetables, dipped them in sauce, and began to eat heartily. Before long, he had consumed all the food on the table, and feeling satisfied, he set down the chopsticks and patted his stomach.

Sun Shao felt somewhat despondent; his exquisite flute playing was merely deemed "adequate"? The standards of Da Qiao seemed rather high. In fact, he was mistaken. Da Qiao believed that the bamboo flute he played was a transverse flute, which is an instrument used in the military, characterized by a lively rhythm and a majestic sound, fundamentally different from the music typically played at banquets. The transverse flute is not particularly suitable for such occasions, but Da Qiao, knowing his military background, assumed he could only play such tunes and did not think much further. To be honest, such tunes, which are considered rustic by the elegant Da Qiao, could only be rated as folk melodies, and receiving an "adequate" evaluation from him already contained an element of encouragement.

Sun Shao quickly recognized it, but did not say much. He played a few pieces that he considered relatively elegant, allowing Daqiao to select a spare one with her aesthetic judgment. They discussed musical tones, of course, it was mostly Daqiao speaking while Sun Shao listened, but the fact that Sun Shao could engage her in a discussion about musical tones was already enough to surprise Daqiao. Moreover, he occasionally expressed some novel viewpoints, and the two of them became increasingly in sync, momentarily forgetting the passage of time. Daqiao rarely had anyone to confide in. When Sun Ce was alive, he was preoccupied with warfare and had no mood for discussing musical tones, not to mention he did not understand them. Later, as Sun Shao grew up, he too became engrossed in military affairs like Sun Ce, showing little interest in musical tones. For over a decade, Daqiao spent most of her time entertaining herself, rarely finding a kindred spirit. Even when her younger sister, Xiao Qiao, visited occasionally, she never failed to mention her ideal husband, Zhou Yu, or her outstanding children, which left Daqiao feeling quite frustrated. The scene of mutual exchange with Sun Shao today was the first of its kind for Daqiao in over a decade. If one were to draw a comparison, it could only be likened to the time before the Qiao family fell into decline, when she and her sister practiced the guqin in their residence.

Time passed quickly. By the time the bridge had selected the piece for Sun Shao and made several adjustments to the melodies, it was already noon, the time for lunch. Qiao Yue led several servants, carrying a few dining tables upstairs. Upon smelling the aroma of the dishes, Da Qiao and Sun Shao came to their senses, exchanged a smile, put down their instruments, washed their hands in the copper basin, and sat facing each other to have their meal.

Sun Shao felt somewhat disappointed; it turned out that after working hard for half a day, he had merely created an existing musical instrument, leaving him with no sense of accomplishment

Qiao Yue finally breathed a sigh of relief, her face flushed as she hurried away. Before long, she returned with Sun Shao's ring-headed knife. Sun Shao took the knife in hand, and with a swift motion, he chopped down a bamboo stalk he had long set his eyes on, trimming away the excess parts before returning to his courtyard. He retrieved a short knife, similar to a dagger, from his room and sat on the steps to get to work. In his previous life, he had gained some renown for his flute skills, and crafting a bamboo flute was second nature to him. In this life, he possessed a robust physique, with strength far surpassing that of his former self. Thus, although the short knife in his hand was not as sharp as those of later generations, his progress was by no means inferior. In less than an hour, a vibrant green bamboo flute was born in his hands

You are being overly presumptuous

The bridge only had a few sips of soup and ate a couple of bites of rice. Part of the reason for this was her good mood, inspired by watching Sun Shao devour his food with great appetite, but that was about it. She hardly touched the meal that Qiao Ying had prepared for her.

When one encounters joyful events, their spirit is uplifted. It is rare to see a joyful expression on the pale face of the elder Qiao, and upon witnessing this, Qiao Ying felt a surge of happiness in her heart and quietly stepped aside to wipe away her tears. Since the family head, Qiao Rui, died in battle, the elder Qiao had not been this happy for over a decade. Having watched the elder Qiao grow up and treating her as if she were half a daughter, Qiao Ying was deeply moved by this scene. She quietly called Qiao Yue aside and softly instructed, "A Yue, go to the kitchen and tell them to prepare more refreshing vegetables. The lady is in a good mood today and might eat a bit more."

I am full, " said Daqiao, putting down the bamboo chopsticks and speaking softly

Aunt Qiao wanted to persuade again, but seeing the exhausted state of the bridge, she couldn't bear to say more. She could only look at the untouched food on the table with worry. At that moment, Sun Shao stood up: "Aunt Qiao, Mother doesn't want to eat these, so let's have them cleared away. Xiaoyuer, come with me to the kitchen to see if there is anything delicious left."

As the sound of the flute rose and fell, the worry on the bridge's face disappeared, and she revealed a faint smile: "In this way, it can be managed."

Sun Shao glanced at the food table in front of the bridge and began to understand. He had a good constitution, a hearty appetite, and enjoyed his meals, so he was not very picky about the flavors of these dishes. However, the bridge was different; she was in a bad mood, her health was poor, and naturally, her appetite was also lacking. The food before her was clearly not suitable for someone in her condition, so it was normal for her to eat little. Not to mention, even the individual grains of rice were difficult for him to swallow, let alone for the bridge.

Lunch was modest, consisting of a bronze pot filled with soup mixed with minced meat, a plate of dried meat that had been eaten in the morning, a plate of green vegetables, a small dish of sauce, a small dish of mustard, and finally a bowl of rice

Sigh. Qiao Yue saw her mother so happy that she was in tears, and she felt very happy as well, quickly tiptoeing over.

The bridge looked at Qiao Ying with gratitude and smiled silently, saying, "I know it is your kind intention, but I really cannot eat anymore. Please have them take it away."

"Mother, why aren't you eating?" Sun Shaojian asked with some surprise, noticing that the food in front of her at the table remained largely untouched.

Madam, you have only eaten this little, how is that enough? Tomorrow we still have to go to the Zhou residence. If you do not eat a bit more, how will you have the strength then?" Qiao Ying pleaded