Chapter 83

As the night deepened, Yu Ying was the first to lie down on the small bed after soaking her feet.

She looked at Fu Wei, who was still reading the bamboo slips at the table, and shouted, "Stop reading. We have to travel tomorrow. Rest first."

Fu Wei hesitated for a moment, then rolled up the bamboo slips and put them in his bag. He blew out the oil lamp and walked to the bed in the dark.

He stood by the bed for a while before slowly lying down with his clothes on.

The wooden bed was obviously very old. Even if one lay down gently, it still made a creaking sound. In this quiet room, the sound was particularly noticeable.

Yu Ying knew that the bed was small, so she pressed it tightly against the inner wall. But after Fu Wei lay down, there was still some space between them.

Without thinking too much, you can tell that half of Fu Wei's body is hanging in the air.

Yu Ying gave half of the quilt to Fu Wei and whispered to him, "Come in closer to sleep."

Fu Wei took the quilt and covered himself with it.

After a while, a hint of warmth emanated from under the quilt.

"That'll do."

Since he said it was okay, Yu Ying stopped trying to persuade him.

The cold wind was howling, and the old post station made all kinds of shaky noises in the wind.

The quilt was very old and not warm at all, not to mention that there was a gap between the two of them, through which cold wind flowed from time to time.

Even though Yu Ying was wearing cloth socks, she couldn't feel any warmth and was so cold that she hugged her arms tightly.

Fu Wei, who was originally half hanging in the air, somehow suddenly moved his body and fell asleep.

The two of them were close to each other, with no gap between them, and the bed gradually became warmer.

When Yu Ying turned her head, she also heard a rustling sound. The next moment, she could clearly feel a warm breath falling on her cheek.

Startled.

In the darkness, even though she couldn't see anything, she could feel that Fu Wei was looking in her direction.

Although I can't see clearly, my senses are extremely clear. I can feel each other's hot breath that they want to hold, but can't help but slowly exhale.

Yu Ying's heartbeat gradually quickened.

It was only a moment, but it seemed like a long time had passed.

She turned her head and heard the rustling sound again. She thought Fu Wei had also turned his head.

Yu Ying looked up at the pitch-black sky, thinking about her relationship with Fu Wei.

They are not husband and wife, nor lovers, but their intimacy is beyond that of friends.

What kind of relationship do they have now?

After Fu Wei and Yu Ying confessed their love to each other again, she also realized that it was useless to keep running away.

Moreover, considering the current situation of sleeping in the same bed, it is a bit unfair to an ancient person.

What has been bothering her now is that she still has the extravagant hope of returning to the modern era.

Although she knew that this extravagant hope was very slim, or even impossible, she still didn't want to leave herself with too many worries in this era.

But even after love comes breakup, and after marriage comes divorce. There may be a period of pain, but it doesn't mean that one cannot live without the other.

When going from Lingshui Village to Yu County to look for Fu Wei, Yu Ying had already figured it out.

Apart from the noisy sounds outside, the house was so quiet that the squeaking sound of termites eating away at the wood was particularly clear, making people feel very irritated.

"Fu Wei." She called softly.

"Um?"

She considered it for a moment before continuing, "I can't make you any promises, but maybe we can have a chat first and talk about the rest later. What do you think?"

Yu Ying looked up at the pitch-black sky, breathed a sigh of relief, her heart beating rapidly.

The person next to me was silent for a long time, as if he was thinking.

After a moment, Fu Wei hesitated before asking, "What do you want to talk about?"

…

I was nervous for a long time, but the other party didn't know what the conversation meant.

Yu Ying turned her back to Fu Wei and hesitated for a long moment before explaining, "We're just going to be in love for now. As for becoming a real couple, we can talk about it later."

When Fu Wei heard the word "engagement", his eyes gradually widened and a huge wave seemed to surge in his heart.

After a while, he confirmed in a tense voice: "Have you really thought it through? Do you want to be in love with me?"

Yu Ying said "hmm" softly.

In the darkness, a smile suddenly appeared on Fu Wei's face and eyes.

"Okay, let's get engaged first." His voice was slow and gentle. He seemed calm, but he was extremely happy in his heart.

"Ah Ying."

"Um?"

"Can I shake your hand?"

Yu Ying hesitated for a moment, then turned around and lay back down. After hesitating for a long time, she lightly touched the back of his hand with her trembling fingertips.

The next moment after the touch, the hand was grasped in the palm of a broad hand.

Yu Ying's heart was slightly moved.

"Ah Ying, I'm very happy."

Yu Ying could feel that his voice was light and cheerful, obviously he was excited.

Yu Ying also smiled faintly.

No one knows what will happen in the future, so she wants to take the first step while they are still together.

There was no excitement or excessive intimacy between them; they simply spent the night holding hands.

When I woke up in the morning, Fu Wei had already gotten up and was tidying up his hair.

When Yu Ying sat up from the bed, Fu Wei took her coat and put it on the bed.

The two looked at each other and smiled.

After getting dressed, Yu Ying went to fetch some water to wash up.

After washing up, I had a bowl of hot porridge in the lobby and got ready to go.

When Huo Yacha went to greet Fu Wei, he saw that handsome face was full of a smile that made people feel like spring breeze.

He asked curiously, "Why are you so happy today, Mr. Fu? Is there anything good?"

Fu Wei slightly suppressed his joy and asked, "Wasn't I like this before?"

Huo Yacha laughed and said, "Mr. Fu, you are underestimating me. After all, I have been a Yacha for eighteen years. How could I not see the difference between Mr. Fu yesterday and today?"

He narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment before analyzing, "Yesterday, the smile was gentle, but today, not only my face, but even my eyes are full of smiles. It's almost written on my face that I'm in a good mood."

Fu Wei's gaze fell on Yu Ying who was getting on the carriage, and his smile deepened: "I am indeed in a good mood today."

Huo Yachai and another person who was about to help Fu Wei onto the carriage followed his gaze and saw the more obvious smile on his face. They both smiled knowingly.

The two of them tacitly helped Fu Wei onto the carriage.

After Fu Wei sat down, Qian's staff and the Dianshi who were riding in the same carriage also got on the carriage one after another.

The carriage moved forward slowly.

Qian Muliao looked towards Fu Wei and remembered his wife complaining to him about Yu last night.

Not only did he interfere with her daughter's education, but he also threatened to report her to the magistrate's wife if she said anything unpleasant.

Having said that, he was asked to talk to Yu's husband and ask her not to be too arrogant.

After a moment of silence, he finally spoke: "Mr. Fu Lang."

Fu Wei, who had been resting with his eyes closed, heard the voice and opened his eyes to look at Mr. Qian with his usual smile: "What's the matter, Mr. Qian?"

Qian Muliu said with a cold and arrogant expression, "Mr. Fu's wife seems to have a poor grasp of etiquette. Not only did my wife interrupt when she was disciplining her daughter, but she also said a few words to my wife. She even said she wanted to ask the county magistrate's wife to make the decision. This behavior seems rather annoying."

As the words fell, the smile on Fu Wei's face gradually faded.

When the official standing by heard these words, his eyes widened slightly.

Sensing something was amiss, he thought to himself that he shouldn't be here, but getting off the carriage now would be too much of a stretch.

Sitting on the right side, one can only lower his head to reduce his presence.

Fu Wei's smile faded, and he asked, "Mr. Qian, do you understand my wife?"

Qian Muliao frowned: "Why should I know about your wife?"

Fu Wei smiled. "Since Mr. Qian doesn't understand, why do you presumptuously conclude that my wife doesn't know etiquette and is a nuisance? Is it just based on your wife's one-sided statement?"

Qian Muliao's face darkened: "Why, do you think my wife framed your wife?"

Fu Wei's smile faded, and he said sternly, "I respect Mr. Qian, but that doesn't mean Mr. Qian and Madam can slander my wife. My wife is more precious to me than anything else. If there's any misunderstanding or false accusation, I'll definitely investigate it thoroughly."

Qian Muliao said unhappily, "For such a small matter, do you really want to take it to the Magistrate's wife?"

Fu Wei: "This is supposed to be a matter between women, and it's not for men like us to get involved. But since Mr. Qian has already spoken, I can't pretend I didn't hear it."

As Qian's staff frowned, Fu Wei continued, "Let's first clarify. If it's really my wife who made the mistake, my wife and I will definitely apologize. But if that doesn't make it clear, then we can ask the county magistrate's wife to mediate between Madam Qian and my wife. We don't need to get involved anymore. What do you think, Mr. Qian?"

Qian's staff member responded: "OK."

During the lunch break, when Yu Ying got off the carriage to get some fresh air, she saw Fu Wei and Qian Muliao coming together, and was a little surprised.

Seeing this, Madam Qian, who was about to lift the curtain and come down, smiled.

Although Fu Langjun is a staff member, she is new to the government office after all. Her husband is her superior, and subordinates still have to act according to the superior's wishes.

Even though he knew his wife had not said anything wrong, he would certainly scold her in order to avoid embarrassing his superiors.

In this way, we can also teach Yu, who is so self-righteous, a lesson.

After the two came over, Yu Ying placed her hands on her stomach and nodded to Qian Muliu: "Hello, Mr. Qian."

Staff member Qian snorted coldly at her.

Yu Ying looked at Fu Wei without much concern, asking with her eyes what was going on.

There were few people near the carriage, so Fu Wei spoke directly, "Just now in the carriage, Mr. Qian told me that you had been rudely interfering while Madam Qian was giving her a lecture. Madam Qian scolded you a few times, and then you said you wanted to ask the Magistrate's wife to make the decision."

Upon hearing this, Yu Ying understood that the villain was the first to complain.

She turned to look at the mother and daughter who had already gotten out of the carriage.

Madam Qian raised her chin with a contemptuous attitude, as if she was sure that Fu Wei would scold her.

"I don't believe you are such a person, so I came here with Mr. Qian to find out what's going on."

Yu Ying turned back, glanced at Fu Wei, then at Mr. Qian, and said calmly, "Yesterday, just as we were getting on the carriage, Miss Qian asked Madam Qian in front of me why I was so ugly. Madam Qian scolded her, saying that even if you dislike someone, you can't gossip about them in front of them."

"I feel offended. Just asking Miss Qian not to talk about me in front of others would be rude. These words don't seem too excessive, right?"

Madam Qian immediately retorted, "The child is ignorant, and I did scold him, but Madam Yu is too sensitive and thinks I scolded you too. She even said she would go to the Magistrate's wife to discuss it. Isn't this clearly an attempt to embarrass me?!"

Each of these two people has his own reasons.

Fu Wei looked at Mr. Qian and said, "My wife was indeed offended, but it seems that she did not elaborate on this with Mr. Qian."

Staff member Qian also frowned.

Fu Wei added, "We can't handle women's household affairs. Why don't we go find the county magistrate's wife and ask her to mediate?"

When she heard that they were going to see the magistrate's wife, Madam Qian immediately lost her composure and said hurriedly, "It's just a small matter, why do you have to make such a big fuss?"

Mr. Qian was not a fool. He understood his wife. If he was really in the wrong, he would seek justice even if he had to bring the matter to the magistrate's wife.

Now they want to keep things quiet, there must be something fishy going on!

Thinking of this, Qian Muliao's face darkened. He looked at his daughter and asked in a deep voice, "Did you say those words in front of Madam Yu?"

After receiving a stern look from her father, Miss Qian didn't dare to lie and could only nod.

It is clear who started this.

Qian Muliao was humiliated by his wife and daughter and looked unhappy.

He looked at his wife with a dark face and said in great displeasure, "If you cause any trouble, I will have you sent back to Yu County immediately!"

After saying that, he waved his sleeves and left angrily.

Madam Qian looked embarrassed.

Yu Ying was not the kind of person who would kick someone when he was down, so she didn't say anything and just pushed Fu Wei away.

He pushed Fu Wei to the riverside before stopping.

Su Yu stopped, and Fu Wei said to her, "Don't get angry with that woman. It's not worth it."

Yu Ying walked up to him and smiled: "I'm not angry, and I don't care."

Fu Wei turned his head and looked up at her.

Indeed, she looked relaxed and at ease, and her mood was not affected by such a woman at all.

Fu Wei also smiled faintly, lowered his eyes slightly, and fell on her hand.

Thinking of last night, he slowly reached out and held her hand.

Yu Ying was startled, looking down at her hand that was suddenly held, then looking back at him, pulling her hand away slightly, and whispered, "Someone will see it."

Fu Wei said calmly, "What if others see me? I'm holding my own wife..."

Before he could finish his words, a light cough was heard and Fu Wei immediately let go of Yu Ying's hand.

The two turned around and saw that it was Huo Yacha and the magistrate.

Magistrate Zhou sternly scolded him, "I know you two love each other, but you should also be careful about so many people watching."

Yu Ying: ...

Fu Wei: ...

The two were young and were caught in the act of love for the first time, and both of their ears were filled with red.

Yu Ying hurriedly saluted and walked away quickly.

After eating dry food, we continued our journey.

Yu Ying and Madam Qian sat in the carriage in silence, looking as if they were disgusted with each other.

In another carriage, the usually arrogant Qian Mushi still kept his public and private affairs separate and said to Fu Wei, "Please don't blame my wife for her misbehavior and disrespect."

Fu Wei smiled and said, "Now that the misunderstanding has been made clear, I will naturally not blame you. I just hope that Madam Qian can shake hands and make peace with my wife in the future."

Seeing that he wasn't being persistent, Qian Muliu said, "I'm not sure if we can shake hands and make peace, but I promise I won't let her do anything behind your back."

Fu Weiyi bowed and said, "Thank you, Mr. Qian."

…

After three days and two nights, we finally arrived at the county seat.

Because it was almost night when she entered the city, Yu Ying could only go to the stall to look for Song Sanlang early the next morning.

I originally thought I would stay in an inn, but the county government had arranged accommodation for the county magistrates.

A small courtyard was arranged for County Magistrate Zhou.

Yu Ying and Fu Wei were still in the same room. This room was much better than the one in the post station and had everything one could need.

It was just that Yu Ying took a walk outside the courtyard and inadvertently heard some gossip from the servants who were assigned to serve in the courtyard. Among the seven county magistrates of the county seat, County Magistrate Zhou's residence was the smallest and worst.

If you think about it carefully, since ancient times, there have been many people who judge people by their appearance, and Yu County is the poorest county in Cangwu County, so it is naturally not welcomed by others.

County Magistrate Zhou was originally a illegitimate son of a prominent family. The legitimate son demoted him to a small county like Yu County, either because he was tired of him or felt that he would be a threat to himself.

Yu Ying guessed it was a bit of both.

It was because County Magistrate Zhou was demoted that Fu Wei was able to meet his mentor.

The current predicament is only temporary.