The First National Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 40

"We saw a kite high in the sky from a distance just now. We've never seen such a big kite before, so we came looking for it." As she spoke, she looked at the kite flying high in the sky.

Yu Zhi seemed to be very interested in kites, which was normal, considering she was only a teenager, or a middle school student in her later life, a time when she was lively and loved to play.

Unfortunately, I was born in this era and am bound by the etiquette and customs of this time, so I have to try my best to be a little adult.

"Oh, come here, Yuzhi, you can play with this kite." Xu Tian handed her the string.

Yu Zhi hesitated for a moment, then didn't accept it: "This...isn't this inappropriate?"

"What's wrong with it? It's just a kite. This centipede is one I made myself; you can't buy it anywhere else. It may look a bit ugly, but don't underestimate it. This one is quite unique; I haven't seen anyone else with such a long kite today."

As Xu Tian spoke, he naturally took her hand and placed the fuse in her hand.

Yu Zhi was slightly startled by his actions and quickly withdrew her hand, lowering her head somewhat embarrassedly, a blush creeping onto her cheeks.

Seeing Yu Zhi's reaction, Xu Tian realized that he might have gone a bit too far; he really hadn't thought that much about it.

This era was different from later generations, where the separation of men and women was strictly observed. Although the Tang Dynasty was relatively open compared to other dynasties in history, it was still quite limited in practice and far from the openness of later generations.

But since I've already done it, there's nothing to be ashamed of. It was just holding hands, she's just a kid in her teens. I can treat her like my own little sister. Hmm, her little hands seem ice-cold and very thin.

"Okay, go play, just be careful the kite doesn't fall down," he quickly dismissed.

"Hmm." Yu Zhi tugged at the kite string a few times, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

"Hey, wait a minute."

Yu Zhi turned around again and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"You have some willow catkins in your hair," Xu Tian pointed out, reminding her. He had noticed them by chance when she turned around earlier.

Upon hearing him say that, Yu Zhi raised her hand to touch her head.

The willow catkins are so light and fluffy that you won't feel them when they land on your head, and you won't know where they land. You can only feel around with your hands, but there are many people present, and it doesn't seem very elegant for a girl to be touching her head all over.

"Don't move, I'll do it." Xu Tian said as he took two steps forward, raised his hand, and reached out to pluck a few strands of white willow catkins from Yu Zhi's hair.

As he held those few wisps of willow catkins in his fingers, he suddenly recalled a line from a poem that seemed to describe a similar scene. But the poem had faded from his memory, and he couldn't quite recall it at the moment; it lingered in his mind, appearing and disappearing intermittently.

This vague feeling made him try to recall it, so he froze for a moment without making any movement.

"Brother Xu." Yu Zhi, who was standing beside him, saw that he seemed dazed and couldn't help but call out softly.

"Hehe, it's nothing. I just suddenly remembered something I had forgotten, and I'm very happy about it," Xu Tian said with a smile, coming back to his senses.

Poetry is more than just poetry; it represents past memories. What he fears most is that these memories will be forgotten without him even realizing it.

Although it is inevitable and will eventually be forgotten, I hope it can be as slow and as late as possible.