Chapter 22 - 22 Cold Fragrance
Aside from how well-behaved Tang Yuxin is now, Chen Zhong is also a man to be trusted.
Tang Zhinian let go of his daughter’s little hand, then crouched down in front of her.
“Be obedient, don’t make any noise to alert Grandfather Chen, understand?”
“Mm,” Tang Yuxin nodded vigorously, her little head bobbing.
“Wait for daddy to finish his work in the fields, then I’ll pick you up, alright? We won’t cry, and we won’t touch any of Grandfather’s things.”
“Alright,” Tang Yuxin again bobbed her head in agreement.
Only then did Tang Zhinian stand up. He waited a bit before he left, but he was still uneasy. He decided he would come back later to check.
“Come here,” Chen Zhong waved Tang Yuxin over. His face was stern, his gaze sharp. If Tang Yuxin were really just a child, she’d probably be scared to tears by now.
She obediently went over and stood in front of Sun Zhong. A three-year-old child is actually still tiny, all little arms and legs. She wondered how this little body grows to become an adult.
She lifted her small face with effort. From her perspective, everyone was towering over her, just like giants. Most children her age were still crawling around in the dirt, some still wore crotch-open pants and had a persistent runny nose. Therefore, she felt her age was a bit awkward.
“What does this smell like?”
Sun Zhong asked the little tot in front of him. Normally, he didn’t like children, noisy and dirty as they were. But the one in front of him seemed rather clean, and didn’t give off any offensive odors, nor did she have a snotty nose, much less sucking back her snot.
“Medicine,” Tang Yuxin pointed at the herbs drying outside. “They smell good.”
“That’s the scent of herbs,” Chen Zhong agreed. His place was filled with various kinds of medicinal plants, each having a distinct scent. From the refreshing scent of herbal grass to others, but to be able to identify these scents wasn’t extraordinary. Children had sensitive noses, after all.
“And that one,” Tang Yuxin pointed at a seductive plant on the table.
“Very fragrant.”
She said and took a big whiff of the room air, mingling with the scent of herbs, and a hint of cold fragrance emerged. It instantly reminded her of mothballs, shooting straight to her brain, and the chaotic thoughts she had been plagued with suddenly became clear.
“Oh, you can even identify this scent?” Chen Zhong asked skeptically, then he scooped Tang Yuxin into his arms, and in her heart, two streams of shameless tears flowed.
Keeping up the act wasn’t easy, she was a grown woman in her 30s, but here, she was tossed about in everyone’s arms. Her face was burning. But she had no choice, she was small after all.
“What does this smell like?” Sun Zhong flicked a verdant plant. It was like grass yet not grass, like an orchid yet not an orchid, but its growth was certainly lush. Yes, wild herbs tend to thrive without humans meddling. They can grow lush even when neglected.
Tang Yuxin leaned in close for a sniff and instantly, a wave of freshness rose from her nostrils, saturating her lungs, and sharpened her senses.
“Cold fragrance.”
Tang Yuxiang shivered. “A fragrance that feels cold.”
“That’s correct,” Chen Zhong set Tang Yuxin down on her feet again. “This is Ink Frost. It’s refreshing, and when paired with the other herbs here, it gives off a unique fragrance that clears one’s thoughts. Inhale more, and your eyes will brighten, your mind will clear, seems like you are a fortunate one.”