Chapter 56

After Gongsun Yin left, Xie Zheng acted as if he hadn't noticed the big bag. He picked up a military book on the table and began to read it.

When his personal guards came in to serve tea, he said coldly, "Throw the things back to the tent."

The personal soldier was stunned for a moment before realizing that the thing he was talking about should be the big bag that Gongsun Yin brought. He carried the bag to the back tent.

The thing was clearly no longer in front of him, but Xie Zheng's brows were still furrowed. His fingertips quickly flipped the pages of the book, but he still couldn't suppress the restlessness in his heart.

After a moment, he threw away the military book in his hand. The personal soldier guarding the door was about to come in to ask him if he had any instructions. Just as he opened the curtain a little, he saw Xie Zheng standing up and going to the back to check in.

The personal guard quickly withdrew his hand and returned to his original position, continuing to stand guard without looking around.

Only Gongsun Yin and a few of his confidants knew Xie Zheng's current identity in the Yanzhou army. The military tent he lived in was an ordinary general's tent, divided into a front tent and a rear tent. The front tent was for meetings, while the rear tent was for living and resting.

The bundle that the personal soldier had taken from the rear tent was placed on a small table next to the military bed.

Xie Zheng lowered his eyes and looked for a while before untying the knot on the bundle.

There were two new sets of clothes and a pair of shoes inside, all of which were packed for him by Fan Changyu that day.

When he saw the two extra packets of stale candy inside, the corners of his tightly pursed mouth relaxed a little, and his heart, which had been feeling suffocated, seemed to have suddenly been soaked in hot water, and all the inexplicable restlessness subsided.

Xie Zheng's fingertips brushed over the two new clothes, and he picked them up to put them in the box. However, as he did so, the banknotes, paper, and letter stacked inside the clothes fell out.

When he saw the square and eye-catching characters of "Divorce Letter", the curve of his mouth froze instantly.

It's true... I'm determined not to owe him anything!

Xie Zheng raised his thin lips coldly, his innate pride made him want to call someone in immediately, take the bag and throw it far away.

He closed his eyes and took a few breaths, then finally picked up the things in the package and locked them all in a box beside him.

He sat aside, looking down at the box at his feet, his face expressionless.

Even if I throw it away now, I will always miss it.

Keep it for now, until you can no longer feel any emotion when looking at these things, then it's time to throw them away.

He was taught by Wei Yan. To be honest, the most useful thing he learned from Wei Yan was to face his own desires and learn to control his desires.

It was true that he was attracted to her, but that was all.

-

After Gongsun Yin left the Yanzhou camp, he couldn't help but feel like a cat was teasing him, so he strolled to the new recruits' camp in Jizhou.

Xie Zheng was tight-lipped, and he couldn't get much out of him about his marriage no matter how hard he tried. But he thought, the girl had asked her uncle to bring things to Xie Zheng, and she didn't look like she was heartless to him, so why did Xie Zheng say that the girl didn't want to be with him?

With all these doubts in mind, Gongsun Yin went to ask the young officer in charge of craftsmen in Jizhou, and he found out about Carpenter Zhao without much effort.

He was the only carpenter who knew medicine and cured a captain's rheumatism with a few plasters, so he was easy to find.

The newly recruited soldiers still need training and will not participate in actual combat, while the craftsmen recruited from the public are assigned to build city defense equipment.

There was no need to treat the warhorse, so Carpenter Zhao was assigned to the carpenter tent first.

When the soldier in charge of the craftsmen led Gongsun Yin to see Carpenter Zhao, Carpenter Zhao was planeing wood.

The soldier called out, "Is Carpenter Zhao here? Someone is looking for him!"

Carpenter Zhao put down the plane in his hand, raised his old eyes and looked outside: "The old man is here."

The soldier waved at him, and Carpenter Zhao asked for leave from the foreman and walked out.

They were craftsmen, and the military camp did not have unified uniforms for the soldiers. Carpenter Zhao still wore his own gray clothes. His back was hunched, and he looked skinny.

The soldier was still quite polite to Carpenter Zhao: "This gentleman is looking for you."

Carpenter Zhao had been in the military camp for only a short time, but he had already mastered a way to survive. When he saw someone in armor, he would call him a general, and when he saw an ordinary soldier, he would call him "Sir". If it was someone who was not wearing armor but had an extraordinary demeanor, he would just call him "Sir" no matter who he was.

As soon as he saw Gongsun Yin, Carpenter Zhao immediately bowed and said, "Greetings from an old man, sir."

Gongsun Yinxu helped him up and smiled: "Old man, there is no need to be polite. I heard that you have a nephew-in-law named Yanzheng?"

During the days that Carpenter Zhao was in the army, he had been trying to find out about Yan Zheng. However, there were tens of thousands of soldiers on the expedition, and it was impossible for him to find out about him in a short time. It was also by chance that he accidentally cured a captain. The captain was a kind-hearted man, and told him to go to him if he had any difficulties. Carpenter Zhao was afraid that if he said he was looking for a neighbor, people would not take it seriously, so he lied that he was looking for his nephew's husband and asked the captain to help find out.

The captain was a man of his word and took the matter seriously. After finding out that Yan was among the thousand men lent to Yanzhou, he immediately told Carpenter Zhao. Like most of the craftsmen, Carpenter Zhao was put under surveillance to prevent them from escaping. They were not allowed to move around the camp without permission. So Carpenter Zhao asked the captain to hand over the bag prepared by Fan Changyu to Xie Zheng.

After the captain gave the things, he wrote back to Carpenter Zhao. Carpenter Zhao felt relieved, as he felt that he had finally given an explanation to Fan Changyu.

At this moment, a young man in fancy clothes suddenly came over. Carpenter Zhao was not sure what he was doing for a moment. He wondered if he had lied and said that Yan was his nephew's husband and was going to be punished?

His lips moved a few times, and finally he nodded with a pounding heart.

When Gongsun Yin saw that he had found the right person, his foxy eyes narrowed into squinting smiles. He even openly asked the military leader for a military tent and invited Carpenter Zhao to come in and sit for a while.

Carpenter Zhao had never seen such a battle before, and he felt very uneasy after entering the tent.

Gongsun Yin smiled politely and kindly, and took the initiative to pour him tea: "I heard that the old man cured Captain Hu's rheumatism. You are a man of medical skills, why don't you become a military doctor, but come to the artisan camp?"

Carpenter Zhao said in embarrassment: "My medical skills are limited. I used to treat livestock. How can I dare to be a military doctor?"

Upon learning that the other party was a veterinarian, Gongsun Yin smiled and said, "Then Captain Hu is the first person the old man has treated?"

Carpenter Zhao said truthfully, "Not really. I worked as a veterinarian for more than ten years, but later changed my profession to become a carpenter. The first person I treated was my nephew's husband. He was seriously injured at the time, and the town's hospitals were afraid to admit him, so I took the risk and used medicine to save him."

Gongsun Yin was stunned at first, then he burst out laughing. When Carpenter Zhao looked at him in confusion, he coughed several times before he managed to hold back his laughter and said, "It's his luck that he met you, an old man, when he was at the end of his rope."

Carpenter Zhao said no, "My niece carried him back from the wild. If my niece hadn't brought him back, he would have frozen to death in the ice and snow even if he hadn't died from his injuries."

Gongsun Yin thought that a beauty saving a hero was indeed a good story. He suppressed his curiosity and asked, "And then he married your niece?"

Seeing that he was asking questions like this, Carpenter Zhao couldn't help but look at him a little longer, wondering why this official was asking about Yanzheng's marriage?

Gongsun Yin also realized that his intentions were too obvious, so he had to find a random excuse to prevaricate: "Your nephew's son-in-law is quite favored by our general. The general always wants to find out the details of the people he uses, so he ordered me to come and pay a visit."

Although Carpenter Zhao had not received much education, he had lived for decades and had seen all kinds of things. Before the battle even started, Yan Zheng had already been favored by a general. Carpenter Zhao thought to himself that something was wrong. Could it be that Yan Zheng was so good-looking that a general had taken a fancy to him and wanted to recruit him as his son-in-law?

What should Changyu do? He can't let the same thing happen to Song Yan again.

Carpenter Zhao thought about it and said, "To answer your question, the child was later married to my niece."

Gongsun Yin was drinking tea. When he heard this, he spat out a mouthful of tea. He was usually eloquent, but now his tongue was tied and he couldn't speak clearly: "Ru... Ru Yu?"

Even the emperor's son didn't dare to say such a thing, so what a joke it was to let Xie Zheng marry a commoner girl?

Seeing him lose his composure like this, Carpenter Zhao became more certain of his guess.

He said quickly, "My niece saved Yan Zheng's life by carrying him back from the snow. Later, he was injured and sick and couldn't even get out of bed. It was my niece who didn't mind him and let him stay with her to recuperate. She raised money from killing pigs to buy medicine for him... After all this, they have developed feelings for each other."

Gongsun Yin had just wiped the tea stains from the corners of his mouth. When he heard this, his expression became extremely strange: "Your niece... is a pig killer?"

He had thought before that it would be difficult for an ordinary woman to carry Xie Zheng on her back.

Carpenter Zhao was afraid that he looked down on Fan Changyu, so he said, "That girl is also a poor child. Her family used to make a living by slaughtering pigs, and they also opened a butcher shop in the town. They lived a relatively prosperous life. But her parents died at the hands of bandits, and she was left alone with a five-year-old sister. In order to make a living, she had no choice but to rely on slaughtering pigs to support her family."

As he spoke, he glanced secretly at Gongsun Yin's face, and when he found that Gongsun Yin had an expression that was a little confusing, he felt a little proud in his heart.

He said all this simply to tell the official in front of him that Fan Changyu was deeply indebted to Yan Zheng and it would be immoral for them to force Xie Zheng to marry the general's daughter.

Even if we take a step back, if Yan Zheng agrees to marry the general's daughter, then his character can be considered low. After all, he can abandon his wife who saved his life. Those officials who want to marry their daughters should think carefully.

Little did he know that after hearing what Carpenter Zhao said, Gongsun Yin imagined a big, strong woman with a face full of fat, holding a pig-killing knife.

He hissed fiercely, then remembered Xie Zheng's words "She doesn't want to follow me", and rubbed his arms quickly.

No wonder that guy isn't interested in women, does it turn out he likes them?

With one last hope in mind, Gongsun Yin asked with mixed feelings, "So, Yan Zheng gave it to your niece as a gift to repay her kindness?"

Carpenter Zhao immediately blew his beard and glared, "Why is it for repaying a favor? The young couple is so loving! The hooligans in the town had no choice but to go to my niece's house to make trouble, and it was my niece's husband who beat them away. He can read and write, and seeing that my niece went out early and came back late to kill pigs for money to treat his injuries, and her injuries were not healed yet, she asked me to go to the bookstore in the town to help him write contemporary essays. During the New Year, he even wrote Spring Festival couplets for the neighbors in the whole alley! My niece was too busy in the pork shop, so after his injuries healed a little, he went to the shop to help sell pork..."

Carpenter Zhao was still talking incessantly about the loving daily life of the young couple. Gongsun Yin thought of Xie Zheng selling pork and couldn't help shaking off the goose bumps on his arms.

What on earth did that guy go through during those days of hardship?

Give it to a pig-killing girl?

Hiss—too scary.

Based on his understanding of Xie Zheng, if Xie Zheng was unwilling to do something, even if the gods came down to earth to force him, he would not be able to do it, so Xie Zheng was most likely willing to accept the sacrifice.

It was only after understanding this that Gongsun Yin found it even more outrageous.

Could it be that the guy really likes strong and sturdy women?

Gongsun Yin felt that if the noble ladies in Kyoto knew about this, they would all cry their hearts out...

Seeing the unpredictable look on the official's face, Carpenter Zhao was afraid that they might have some thoughts about Xie Zheng, so he added: "When the war is over and my nephew's husband comes home, maybe his children will be able to run around in the fields."

The expression on Gongsun Yin's face could be described as horrified, "You...your niece is pregnant?"

Carpenter Zhao said hesitantly, "It's hard to say. In our village, there was a man who went to the army and his wife found out she was pregnant not long after he left."

What I was thinking in my heart was that when those wealthy families married off their daughters, even if they could tolerate the future aunt having concubines, they could not tolerate the aunt having illegitimate children before the wedding.

Gongsun Yin, who was always gentle and polite in front of others, was really ruined this time, and a huge wave of shock rose in his heart.

Xie Zheng, who always looked down on others, actually fell into the hands of a butcher girl?

Gongsun Yin couldn't help but pinched his thigh hard, and his mouth was twisted in pain. After confirming that this was not a dream, his expression became more disillusioned. After reluctantly exchanging a few polite words with Carpenter Zhao, he walked away with a look of doubt on his face.

Carpenter Zhao looked at his shocked and confused back, and drank a cup of tea in a very good mood.

It can be considered as blocking a wave of bad love affairs for the young couple.

-

When Gongsun Yin was leaving the military tent, he happened to meet the captain of the Jizhou army who came to Zhao the carpenter to ask for plaster.

The other party recognized Gongsun Yin, and when he saw him, he clasped his fists and bowed respectfully: "Mr. Gongsun."

Gongsun Yin was still in a trance. He nodded and asked, "The carpenter who used to be a veterinarian was the one who cured your rheumatism?"

Captain Hu was a rough man, and he was not at all shy about Zhao the Carpenter because he was a veterinarian. The pain from the rheumatism in his waist had gone away, and he had been feeling comfortable for the past two days. He immediately grinned and nodded, "That's right, Mr. Gongsun, what do you want to see him about?"

It seems he found the right person.

The nephew-in-law that the carpenter mentioned was Xie Zheng Wuzhi.

Gongsun Yin said: "Just asking."

He returned to the Yanzhou camp with a suspicious look on his face, called his personal soldiers, and after mumbling a lot of instructions, he said with a complicated expression: "Don't bother that woman, just keep an eye on her movements."

After the guards withdrew, Gongsun Yin stared at Xie Zheng's tent for a while, and recalled Xie Zheng's lost look in the tent before. He shuddered and muttered, "That guy, has he not seen a woman for a long time?"

Xie Zheng, who was out on patrol because he was in a bad mood, just happened to hear the second half of his sentence. He stood not far away, pulling the black horse with white air coming out of its nostrils, and said coldly: "You haven't seen a woman for too long, so I'll have someone throw you to Yihongyuan tonight?"

In the past, Gongsun Yin would never have dared to answer, but after meeting Carpenter Zhao today, he was too shocked. Facing Xie Zheng's cold gaze, he actually thought about it for a while, then looked at Xie Zheng and said, "Jiuheng, neither of us has been to a brothel, how about going to take a look?"

He mainly wanted to confirm whether there was something wrong with this guy's eyes.

Xie Zheng paused as he rolled up the whip. When he looked up again, the distraction in his eyes had disappeared. "If you were a general under my command, a hundred military sticks would be a light punishment."

Gongsun Yin knew that he had spoken out of turn, but if he accepted the punishment at this time, they would no longer be friends. He shrugged and said, "It's just that I'm not a good person."

Xie Zheng handed the warhorse to his personal guard, walked past him and went to the military tent, leaving only one sentence: "Don't break my military rules."

Gongsun Yin looked at his receding back and sighed softly, "Since you can enlighten me, I am even more curious about who that butcher girl is."

-

Lin'an Town.

In the night, the snow once again covered the eaves and treetops with a thick layer. The whole town was silent, and not even the barking of dogs was heard.

"The bandits are coming!"

"Someone's been murdered, run!"

People fleeing from the county town to the surrounding towns shouted in panic; their screams pierced the silence of the snowy night. The sleeping townspeople were also awakened, and they hurriedly wrapped themselves in clothes, picked up their children and ran out.

As soon as he opened the door, a sharp sword was thrust into his chest.

The man who was unwilling to die asked the gangster outside to kick him away. The woman inside took the child and hid in the corner, but the gangster who broke in threw the child away and dragged the woman to the bed with a grin...

Soon the entire Lin'an town was engulfed in flames, and the cries of children and the shouts of bandits were fierce and piercing.

In the firelight, a man sat on a tall horse, watching the bandits killing and looting with cold eyes. He lowered his eyes to look at the Qingping County Magistrate who was being held in his hand like a dead dog, and asked lazily, "Where does that woman live?"

When County Magistrate Liu learned that the bandits had taken away the able-bodied men in the county during the conscription and started to attack Qingping County, he fled with his entire family without a second thought, thinking that it would be enough for these bandits to massacre the people in the county.

Unexpectedly, after the carriage had traveled more than ten miles, the man still caught up on horseback.

At this moment, he was covered in blood and had been tossed all the way on the horse's back. He was already frightened out of his wits and could only beg, "I don't know, I really don't know..."

The author has something to say:

Recommend my gay friend Jiang Yue's new novel "I Lie Flat After Becoming the Heroine's Maid"

Jiang Tang transmigrated into a novel about house fighting and became a maidservant of the heroine who won the family's life.

According to the original book, the heroine was pregnant. She relied on her pretty face to climb into the hero's bed, but was ruthlessly driven out and sent to a manor, where she froze to death miserably on a winter day.

As far as Jiang Tang knows, the heroine of this book, Lu Jinyao, is a lucky otaku and a master of fighting. As long as you follow her obediently, you will be able to rise to prominence and live a life of luxury in the near future.

*

Jiang Tang thought she had won the game easily, and that she could live happily just by staying in the tea room every day, eating, drinking, having fun, and talking about the couple of the hero and heroine. However, the heroine became pregnant and lost her appetite, and the hero threatened to kick them all out.

Jiang Tang:?

Jiang Tang: It hit me, but not completely.

*

Being a maid in a marquis's mansion was a high-paying job. She had to work at fixed times, receive a monthly salary, and tips from time to time. After retirement, she could become a local landlord with her small inheritance.

Jiang Tang aspires to be a good maid.

However, this maid accidentally became the heroine's sister-in-law.