Miss Du laughed, "You are my honored guests, how could I let the servants handle that? Hurry back to the villa, I've cooked lotus seed and mung bean soup, both are perfect for cooling off."
Xie Qinyun chuckled as she pulled Lin Qianqing along and whispered, "I've been here for two days now, staying at this villa. They have a stone mill in their yard, and the bean juice it produces is so delicious—much better than what my family makes for me."
"Really? My grandmother's yard also has a stone mill; I wonder if it's the same."
The path through the rice paddies was narrow, accommodating only one person at a time. Gu Youyou and her three companions walked in single file, with her at the rear, holding an umbrella, but her gaze was turned back towards the person behind her.
After a moment's hesitation, Gu Youyou turned back, handed the umbrella to Jin Zijin, and said, "I don't mind the heat. You use it."
Jin Zijin didn't refuse and took the umbrella.