Chapter 7

In the early morning of early summer, Zhao Yan was once again awakened by the sound of light rain outside the window. He had already been in the Northern Song Dynasty for a month and had gradually adapted to a life without television, mobile phones, or the internet. However, for some unknown reason, it had been raining in Kaifeng since the day he arrived. Although the rain wasn't heavy, it had been drizzling for over half a month, and the sky was often overcast even when it wasn't raining, making the surroundings damp and soggy. Zhao Yan felt as if he was about to mold.

Zhao Yan sat up in bed and turned to look at the pillow he had made himself. The original porcelain pillow had been uncomfortable, so he had used a few thick clothes to make a temporary one. However, this pillow was now damp. Although he had dreamed about sweet and sour pork all night, Zhao Yan preferred to believe that the dampness was from his tears of missing his loved ones from his previous life rather than from drooling in his sleep.

Zhao Yan stretched and got out of bed, thinking about the sweet and sour pork he had made the previous night. He felt quite regretful, as he should have tasted a few pieces before Cao Ying discovered it. He wondered who had benefited from the leftovers after he left the kitchen.

After getting dressed, Zhao Yan pushed open the window and saw that it was still drizzling outside. Fortunately, he had no plans to go out. After closing the window and doing some stretching, he practiced a few rounds of Tai Chi, which he had learned from some elderly people in the park. It was an excellent form of exercise, and after a month of rest and training, Zhao Yan felt his body had recovered remarkably, to the point where he could run a marathon.

After finishing his exercise, Xiaodouya brought in Zhao Yan's toiletries. Zhao Yan had brought his entire set of toiletries, which made his life much easier, as he was not used to living without a toothbrush, toothpaste, and soap.

The cup was already filled with water. Zhao Yan took out his toothbrush and toothpaste, squeezed some toothpaste onto the brush, and started brushing. The refreshing mint flavor of the toothpaste not only left his breath fresh but also cleared his mind. As for Xiaodouya, who was serving him, Zhao Yan wasn't worried, as she hadn't spoken to him in a month, even when she saw him using the toothbrush and other novel items, she only looked curious but didn't dare to ask, probably because Cao Ying had given her specific instructions.

"Prince, what do you use to brush your teeth every day, especially that thing you squeeze out of the tube? It smells so good, is it edible?"

Xiaodouya suddenly spoke, which startled Zhao Yan. He turned to look at her in surprise, rinsed his mouth, and said, "Xiaodouya, why are you speaking to me today?"

"Sl... Slave is just curious, so I wanted to ask!" Xiaodouya was still timid and answered hesitantly.

"Oh?" Zhao Yan looked at Xiaodouya with interest and then held up his toothbrush, "This is called a toothbrush, and the thing squeezed out of the tube is called toothpaste. Although it smells good, it's not edible. You should spit it out after brushing, or it will be bad for your health."

"Ah!" Xiaodouya nodded. In fact, over the past month, she had often seen Zhao Yan brush his teeth twice a day and understood the purpose of these items. She was just making conversation.

After brushing his teeth, Zhao Yan used soap to wash his face and hands. This time, without Xiaodouya asking, Zhao Yan explained, "This is called soap. It serves the same purpose as the bath beans you use to clean my body, but it is more effective at removing dirt and has a pleasant scent, making it much better than the bath beans!"

The so-called bath beans were actually the precursor to soap, invented during the Wei and Jin dynasties. Sun Simiao's "Qian Jin Fang" provided the method for making them, which involved grinding pig pancreas and adding various materials to form a ball. However, the formula for bath beans was not as effective as soap, and they left the skin feeling dry and uncomfortable. Despite this, the production of bath beans was limited, and they were very expensive, affordable only by the nobility and high-ranking officials.

As Zhao Yan washed his face, he noticed that Xiaodouya was looking at his soap with envy. He found this amusing and asked, "Xiaodouya, what do you usually use to wash your face?"

"We?" Xiaodouya was taken aback and answered, "The servants usually just wash their faces with hot water. If our faces are very dirty, we use the soap used for washing clothes. Only Fourth Miss has bath beans. I secretly used them twice, and my face was very clean... Ah!"

Xiaodouya realized she had said something she shouldn't and quickly covered her mouth, then looked at Zhao Yan embarrassedly, "Prince, please don't tell Fourth Miss, or the nurse will scold me to death."

"Ha ha, if you dared to use Cao Ying's things before, did you secretly use mine as well?" Zhao Yan joked. He had been isolated by Cao Ying and the entire mansion, and it was nice to finally have someone to talk to.

"No, no, Fourth Miss has already instructed me not to touch the Prince's things or even speak to him, to avoid giving the Prince a reason to punish me," Xiaodouya said timidly, even revealing Cao Ying's instructions, showing how innocent she was.

"Why did you suddenly speak to me today?" Zhao Yan asked with interest.

"Because... because..." Zhao Yan's question seemed difficult for Xiaodouya. She looked troubled for a moment before answering, "Because I don't think the Prince is as bad as people say, and... and the dish you made yesterday was very delicious!"

Zhao Yan was initially moved by Xiaodouya's first reason, as it was a pure and honest evaluation from a young girl. However, when he heard the second reason, he almost burst out laughing. He hadn't realized that the sweet and sour pork he made yesterday had been eaten by Xiaodouya and had become her standard for judging a person's character. It seemed that the dish had played a significant role in her decision to speak to him today.

"Xiaodouya, do you want to try the soap?" Zhao Yan suddenly offered the soap to Xiaodouya. The innocent and cute girl reminded him of the students he had taught in his previous life, and he wondered how they were doing and if they had new teachers.

"Ah... me?" Xiaodouya's eyes widened in disbelief.

"It's just a piece of soap. If you like it, I'll give it to you. I can make more anyway!" Zhao Yan said generously. Although he studied painting, he knew how to make soap from the saponification reaction he learned in high school. As long as he had fat and alkali, he could make as much as he wanted.

"No, no... this... this is too valuable, I can't accept it!" Xiaodouya quickly refused. Bath beans were expensive, and only Zhao Yan and Cao Ying had the right to use them in the mansion. The white soap was much better than the black bath beans, so she didn't dare to accept it.

"Take it, consider it a gift from me, the Prince!" Zhao Yan said, pushing the soap into Xiaodouya's hands. Although he was now a prince, his heart was still that of a teacher from the future. After seeing Xiaodouya serve him for a month, he felt it was right to give her something, especially since soap wasn't a valuable item.

Hearing that it was a gift from the Prince, Xiaodouya didn't refuse anymore. She took the soap with both hands, sniffed it, and smiled happily, just like the students Zhao Yan had taught in the future when they received prizes for doing well on exams. This made Zhao Yan sigh, as he probably wouldn't see those adorable students again in this life.

After finishing his morning routine, Zhao Yan slowly made his way to the dining room. The daily menu of vegetables and tofu had left him with a psychological shadow, but he had to eat. He didn't want Cao Ying to look down on him, so he forced himself to eat every day. Xiaodouya, who understood his thoughts, saw his pained expression and giggled, occasionally taking out the soap hidden in her sleeve to smell it.

To Zhao Yan's surprise, when he arrived at the dining room, Cao Ying was not there. He breathed a sigh of relief, finished his millet porridge, and didn't even look at the remaining vegetables and tofu. As long as Cao Ying wasn't around, no one in the mansion would dare to manage him.

After putting down his bowl, Zhao Yan quickly left the dining room, but he didn't know that after he left, Xiaodouya looked at the remaining vegetables and tofu with regret and eventually sat down to finish them.

After leaving the dining room, Zhao Yan didn't return to his bedroom. He had been cooped up there for a month and was already bored. Although it was still raining, the rain wasn't heavy, and he hadn't seen Cao Ying at breakfast, which put him in a good mood. So, he decided to wander around the mansion.

When Zhao Yan reached the northeast corner of the rear courtyard, he saw a large yard where he could hear people talking and some animal roars. This piqued his curiosity, and he walked towards the yard.

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**End of Chapter**