42 Chapter 42

◎Footwear◎

Cheng Mu walked barefoot on the ground for a long time, and the cold air became very chilling.

She whispered in Mu Yun's ear, "Talk on the kang."

To avoid being discovered, everyone speaks in a whisper.

"What's the background of the horse ranch owner?"

"Shangguan Duan's family used to trade horses to Western Xia. After the fallout between Mongolia and the Xuan court over a decade ago, their family disappeared. Ten years ago, Shangguan Duan, through his connections with the border general Wu Qiu, opened a horse farm here. He later connected with Lei Pingyou, the steward of the Yanyun Palace, and the palace turned to him for horses."

With the relationship between the garrison commander and the royal palace, it is no wonder that he dares to act so arrogantly in Shang'an Township.

After getting used to the darkness, Mu Yun could see Cheng Min's face clearly. When she leaned over and whispered in his ear again, his heart beat so hard that it almost jumped out of his throat. Fortunately, the darkness hid it.

"You've told Master Huang what Ma Chang did in Zhaojia Village, haven't you? What did Master Huang say?"

"Master Huang said he would come to visit Shangguan Duan in person. Did Shangguan Duan do anything to you today—"

"He hasn't officially met me yet. Shangguan Duan treated me like this, probably to intimidate me and vent his anger. I bet his attitude will change drastically tomorrow and he'll treat me like a distinguished guest."

Mu Yun lowered her eyes, her jaw set tight. She had analyzed everything so thoroughly, knowing Shangguan Duan wouldn't do anything to her, so why did she cry when she saw him coming?

She must still be scared.

"It's late, would you like to sleep for a while?"

With Mu Yun's arrival, Cheng Mu felt much more at ease. "Do you want to leave first? Be careful." Although he wouldn't lose his life if he was discovered, Shangguan Duan, that pervert, would inevitably make him suffer.

"Sister-in-law, go to bed first. In half an hour, when the night is at its darkest, I'll leave then."

"Why don't you lie down too? I'm a little cold."

People who practice martial arts have strong blood and energy. Mu Yun and Gui'er are both like little stoves. Cheng Mu couldn't help but hug them.

Mu Yun endured the itch on his waist and tried his best to make himself look like a wooden sculpture.

No, he really had too much blood and energy. Mu Yun felt the changes in his body and unconsciously arched his body.

He moved little by little, turning his back.

After letting down her guard, Cheng Xi fell asleep quickly, breathing deeply.

Behind him was a soft, sweet fragrance. Today, it wasn't a dream, but a real person lying beside him, within reach. Mu Yun desperately tried to hold back the swell in his body, but the heat in his chest kept surging without a second thought.

Mistake... Mistake. He overestimated his endurance. He shouldn't have lay down.

As soon as Mu Yun sat up, he smelled a bloody smell and his nose started bleeding.

He pulled at his belt to wipe it, and suddenly saw Cheng Mu's bare feet.

Where are her shoes and footwear?

Not in the room.

Mu Yun couldn't help but touch it, and it was indeed cold.

He held her feet in his arms to warm them, wondering what to make for her feet. If only he had known he wouldn't have to use a belt to wipe her nosebleed; he could have used it to bandage her.

When her feet were warm, Mu Yun took off his outer clothes and his inner clothes.

The inner garment was the thinnest, and Cheng Mu had used fine materials to make the clothes for him. He tore off the two sleeves.

The sleeves are tubular and folded several times after wrapping around the feet.

He took off his boots and compared them, and fortunately they were not much bigger than her feet.

The folded footwear is equivalent to adding several layers of boot insoles to the soles of the feet, so that even if the boots are a little big, they can still be worn.

He tore off the bloody belt and tied the loosened footgear around his feet, temporarily wearing the footgear as boots.

Over the past two years, he had learned from Qi Song the three essential skills of a bodyguard: shaving, cooking outdoors, and weaving straw sandals. He could just pick up some hay and weave a pair of sandals in no time.

When Cheng Mu woke up, it was already dawn.

Mu Yun left, and the high windows were restored to their original state. There was no sign that anyone had been inside the house.

No, she had shoes and socks on her feet.

Did Mu Yun put it on her?

Cheng Mu's eyes were attracted by the dried blood on the kang. She stared at it for a long time, thinking about where Mu Yun sat and lay yesterday -

"Mu Yun has had menstruation?"

Will this child be able to handle it?

The first person to come see her early in the morning was not someone from the horse farm, but Widow Xu.

"Madam Cheng, I'm sorry for you."

Widow Xu put down the water for washing her face that was brought to her and knelt down on her knees.

"I'm the one who hurt you. If you want to beat me or scold me, I won't complain."

Cheng Mu's attention was on her feet, as Widow Xu was wearing her shoes.

She suddenly remembered that yesterday, Widow Xu and she went to see the water-pumping windmill. They went barefoot to avoid mud and water dirtying their shoes and socks. After they were done, Widow Xu didn't bother to put shoes and socks on her feet, but went to get a cloth to wipe her feet first.

So when she fainted from the effects of the drug like her, she was always barefoot.

"You're here too, where's Gui'er?"

Her voice was calm, without any resentment. Widow Xu was a little surprised. "They didn't capture Gui'er. Madam Cheng, don't you blame me?"

"You may never be able to return to Zhaojia Village. The ten acres of land you held on to are gone. Who do you blame?"

"I blame Wang San. I was living a good life, but he wanted to harm me." Widow Xu really couldn't forgive Wang San.

"So you were also harmed by someone. I can't blame you for everything that happened to me, but it's true that I'm upset to see you." Cheng Mu is not a saint, and she doesn't have a heart broader than the sky and the sea.

"I'll let you beat and scold me." Widow Xu couldn't express her apology. If Madam Cheng got angry at her and beat and scolded her, she might feel better.

"What good will be done by beating and scolding you? Remember the favor you owe me. I'll make you pay it back at any time."

"Thank you, Madam Cheng."

Cheng Xi washed up and made herself look neat and tidy.

After eating the food sent by the stable, I finally heard the words, "Madam Cheng, the master invites you."

The people at the stable brought her to the meeting room and served her tea.

After waiting for a cup of tea, Shangguan Duan finally showed up.

Shangguan Duan was tall and muscular, with a straight nose and broad lips. His clothes and accessories were extremely exquisite, all of which were of extraordinary quality. He looked like a truly wealthy and noble young man. He bowed to Cheng Mu and said, "Madam Cheng, I apologize for my disrespect. I asked my men to invite you to come and have a talk. I don't know how these people did things. I have wronged you, Madam Cheng. I have already punished them severely. I hope you will forgive me."

Cheng Mu's eyes flicked over a gold-inlaid jade ornament at his waist. "So it was one of your subordinates who acted on his own initiative? It seems Master Shangguan has lived in seclusion for so long, rarely interacting with outsiders, that he's long forgotten how to teach his subordinates the proper way to entertain guests. He probably needs a proper lesson in hospitality. It's truly inappropriate for one of your subordinates to take distinguished guests on horseback and amuse themselves in the fields. If King Yanyun knew of such an absurd act in Yanbei, do you think he would make an example of someone?"

Shangguan Duan was originally looking at her with a smile, but as he listened, his expression turned cold and he replied unhappily, "Madam Cheng has a sharp tongue."

He sat with his arms and legs spread wide open. "To be honest, I invited you here because I have something important to discuss with you."

"I'm all ears."

"My stable has a total of 800 horses. We need to provide 500 war horses or supply horses to Prince Yanyun's palace. A horse eats 10 kilograms of alfalfa hay a day. In the past, the alfalfa in Shang'an Township could feed 300 horses. Madam Cheng grows grain in Shang'an Township, but now Shang'an Township can't even produce 10 stone of horse hay. If we can't deliver the horses, Prince Yanyun will blame us, and we won't be able to bear the consequences."

"So Master Shangguan is working for the palace. Then guess why I'm growing crops in Shang'an Township. Am I also working for Prince Yanyun?"

Shangguan Duan gripped the armrests of the armchair tightly and asked through gritted teeth, "You said you were also growing crops under the king's orders?"

Cheng Mu raised an eyebrow, "Prince Yanyun wants war horses, and he also wants military rations."

Shangguan Duan looked at her suspiciously. Cheng Mu was not at all nervous. She knew that King Yanyun would send troops next year. Now that the horse farm had revealed that he had bought horses, it confirmed that this matter had been carried out in secret for a long time. Shangguan Duan had no way of exposing her true and false claims.

Shangguan Duan: "Since we are all working for the palace, I have been very slow in treating you. Madam Cheng, please stay at the stable for a few more days so that we can discuss a foolproof solution."

He still wouldn't let her go. Cheng Mu was not polite, "Well, I'm sorry to bother you. But the room I live in is too small, it's suffocating, and it's too cold at night. I need a soft and fragrant quilt, and it would be best if I could arrange for a maid to come and serve me. Oh, and I want to learn horse riding these next two days. Can you invite my uncle to come and teach me..."

Shangguan Duan was a little impatient. If he gave her a little color, she would open a dyeing factory and become more and more demanding.

He had sent someone to Yanyun City to invite Chief Steward Lei. He had not seen him for two years, so he took this opportunity to ask Chief Steward Lei to come and strengthen their relationship, show his loyalty, and then let him make a decision for him.

Early in the morning, Mr. Zhao Ba took the people from Zhaojia Village to find Zheng Lizheng again. When Zheng Lizheng heard that the owner of the horse farm had kidnapped Madam Cheng, he immediately sent someone to Puyang City to deliver a letter to Lord Huang.

How can the loss of those fields be compared with that of Madam Cheng? Madam Cheng is now their food bag, and there must not be any mistakes.

Everyone in Shang'an Township who heard about this rushed to the horse farm with them.

More than a hundred people went there in a mighty procession.

Shangguan Duan had just ordered someone to go to Yanyun City to invite General Lei when his subordinates came to report the situation. More than a hundred people shouted "Release Madam Cheng" and came in a threatening manner.

Shangguan Duan held his forehead with his hand. He had been troubled by Madam Cheng and the people related to her since early morning.

Shangguan Duan was a master of playing dirty tricks. Zheng Lizheng had brought people from Zhaojia Village to him the past few days, but they hadn't gotten away with anything. Today was no different. Shangguan Duan denied that he had abducted Madam Cheng, insisting that she had been invited with courtesy and that their stable treated her like a distinguished guest.

Zheng Lizheng asked to meet Madam Cheng, but Shangguan Duan of course refused. Thinking that Madam Cheng said she wanted to invite his uncle, he only agreed to let his uncle go to meet her.

Mr. Zhao Ba instructed Mu Yun, "If Madam Cheng is treated poorly, we will never give up."

Led by the people from the horse farm, Mu Yun arrived at a very exquisite small courtyard.

The sister-in-law guessed right. Today, the owner of the horse farm changed his behavior from yesterday and treated her as a guest of honor.

Maids were also arranged to serve.

Looking closely, the maid was Widow Xu.

Widow Xu reported at the door, "Madam Cheng, Mu Yun is here."

Cheng Mu came out quickly and said to Mu Yun with a smile, "You're here. Did they invite you?"

Mu Yun saw that she was still wearing the muddy clothes from yesterday and her boots were still his pair, and his heart felt sour and soft.