Chapter 12 Chapter 12 "Miss Xue is used to ordering people around...

After listening to Zhang Jingxuan's inference, Xue Yuanyin spent a cup of tea trying to refute it, and then spent a full incense stick of time to accept it.

Zhang Jingxuan simply explained the cause and effect:

"Quanyang County is a frequent destination for caravans. Even though the war has just ended, the profits presented to the emperor by the caravans are several times greater than in previous years. His Majesty has asked His Royal Highness to secretly investigate the caravans' business, but he's surprised to find that the source of their profits seems a bit fishy... This area is close to the Western Regions, and the involvement is widespread. With so many caravans, it's difficult to apprehend them. So, His Royal Highness sent me here under the guise of accompanying him on a secret visit."

Xue Yuanyin nodded to show that she understood, and looked at the dilapidated courtyard in front of her, saying:

"How about we go to town and find a private room to stay in first..."

She suddenly remembered something, pinched her purse, her expression changed slightly, and asked, "How much money do you have on you now?"

Zhang Jingxuan glanced at her without answering.

Xue Yuanyin: “…”

Which respectable person from aristocratic family would carry silver when going out? The books say that gold and silver are too vulgar and emphasize the smell of money. At most, they would put a few coins in their purses as a token of their appreciation, and on weekdays, their followers would pay for them.

At least she brought some change with her, but Zhang Jingxuan probably didn't even bother to bring any silver or money.

Xue Yuanyin held onto hope and asked, "Can you pawn your jade pendant?"

Zhang Jingxuan pondered for a moment and shook his head. "That jade pendant was used for my childhood birthday celebration. It's crystal clear and feels warm to the touch. It's obviously a piece of luxury, and only high-ranking officials can wear it. If I pawn it, there's a risk of exposing my identity, so it's best not to."

Xue Yuanyin's face suddenly fell.

That was it, this little change couldn't be wasted! They would definitely be staying here for a while, and before settling down and finding a suitable livelihood, they had to spend their money wisely.

Zhang Jingxuan ignored her, lowered his head to pick up the lock, and studied it attentively.

They didn't have a padlock now, so this one had to be used to lock the front door. Fortunately, he had studied wooden lock mechanisms before and had learned a thing or two, so he turned the padlock over and over in his hands for a while and actually managed to restore it.

He casually hung the padlock on the slightly rotten door and reached out to push it open.

Xue Yuanyin and he looked into the yard together.

Even though they had prepared themselves mentally beforehand, they were still stunned when they saw such a simple residence.

It was an ordinary courtyard. A narrow passageway, perhaps leading to a toilet, swung into a corner. A compacted dirt path stretched down the middle. To the left was the west wing, to the right was the east kitchen, and in front was the main room. Inside the main room was the main living room, and outside was a small hall with a wooden table surrounded by wooden benches, clearly a dining area.

A hemp rope stretched from left to right across the middle of the yard, used for hanging clothes to dry. A broom stood upright against the outer wall of the main house. A fence surrounded the corners on either side of the outer wall, separating the east and west rooms, presumably for feeding chickens and ducks.

This yard is only this big.

To be honest, this kind of courtyard is where the common people live in the town and even the county. However, Xue Yuanyin and Zhang Jingxuan were born into noble families and have never experienced this kind of life. Even in the most difficult times, they have never suffered such hardship.

For a moment, both of them stood outside the yard, not knowing where to go.

In the end, it was Zhang Jingxuan who stepped in first and said, "We have nowhere else to stay, so let's settle down first."

Xue Yuanyin also walked in and took a rough look around. Although all kinds of utensils were missing, at least there were two sleeping rooms, which made her feel relieved.

Probably because she was a girl, Zhang Jingxuan chose a smaller wing room in the house. Xue Yuanyin naturally did not hesitate to be polite with him and asked for the more spacious main room without hesitation.

Now comes the most serious problem - cleaning.

The house was so dusty that they had no servants to clean it, so they had to do it themselves.

Judging from the current situation, the previous owners were a couple and there was no one else around, so it was a good deal for them.

This couple probably saw that they were struggling to make ends meet at home, and they didn't expect to lose their lives during their trip, so they had the most basic utensils and other things to make do with.

The wooden cabinet contained folded old quilts and mats, which seemed relatively neat and clean. However, the bed mat was covered in dust and could not be slept on without a clean sweep. Furthermore, the desk, stools, window frames, doors, stove...everything was covered in a thin layer of dust.

Even Xue Yuanyin found it unbearable, let alone Zhang Jingxuan, who had obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Thinking of this, Xue Yuanyin looked at Zhang Jingxuan with a subtle and weird mood, and saw him walk straight to the well in the yard, draw water not very skillfully, wash his hands for a long time, and then his wrists, neck, etc. After a while, he shook off the water droplets on his hands and stood up.

Standing in the dusty yard, there was no trace of his former gentle and handsome self.

Xue Yuanyin: “…”

He has so many bad habits.

She searched for a rag with a sullen face, but couldn't find one in the drawers and cabinets. She simply cut a rag from the waistband of the man's trousers and held it in her hand with disdain. She then walked to the outer wall and picked up the broom with her other hand.

Finally, she walked up to Zhang Jingxuan and said coldly, "You choose one, and we will clean the yard now."

Zhang Jingxuan frowned, obviously very resistant and didn't want to speak.

Xue Yuanyin didn't have much patience and handed him the shredded trousers: "Here's the rag. You're responsible for cleaning it. I'll sweep the floor. Everyone is responsible for their own room."

Zhang Jingxuan really didn't want to accept it, so he calmly suggested, "Let's go find a human trafficker and buy a slave. Prices here aren't very high, and we can buy a slave for as little as three or four taels."

Xue Yuanyin maintained the posture of handing over the rag and said sarcastically, "Then you have to make money for me now." She had to save the only change in her purse for emergency use, and she couldn't give it to him even if she had three or two taels of money.

"There's martial law outside right now, so we'll have to wait a while." Zhang Jingxuan seriously considered this possibility, but regretfully stopped thinking about it. His eyes fell on the rag in Xue Yuanyin's hand, his brows knitted again, and he resisted, "Throw it away, I'll use something else as a rag."

"Why are you so fussy?" Xue Yuanyin, who had followed his father on his journeys abroad, had lived a rough life since childhood, and was quicker to accept these things. She shoved the broom into his hand and said, "Then you sweep and I'll mop. Okay? Didn't you go to the common people with the Crown Prince before? Why do you dislike these things even more than I do?"

"I'm going to the common people, not the slums." Zhang Jingxuan paused, still unable to bear the rag, so he took the broom.

Perhaps out of conscience, he took the initiative to say, "Thank you for wiping it."

Xue Yuanyin didn't respond and cleaned the rag vigorously. She had never done any work since she was a child, so her movements were very clumsy.

Halfway through, she took the time to look at Zhang Jingxuan.

He swept the dirt away with clumsy movements, raising a cloud of dust as he went. He covered his lips and coughed for a while, then continued sweeping, then continued coughing, and so on. Although he seemed to be working very hard, his progress was slow.

Xue Yuanyin: “…”

She couldn't bear to watch it any longer and even wanted to trip him while he was cleaning.

She thought so and did so.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Jingxuan dodged the stone she kicked without even looking up, and said coldly, "If you don't want me to finish the cleaning work in the whole afternoon, then go ahead and cause me trouble."

Xue Yuanyin: “…”

She turned around expressionlessly and wrung the rag in her hand vigorously.

This was the first time she didn't feel any pleasure in beating him.

…

By the time they finished cleaning, the sun was about to set. Xue Yuanyin was so tired that she didn't want to move. She looked up and saw Zhang Jingxuan walking towards her from the toilet with a grim expression.

He stood in the yard for a while, and as if he could no longer bear it, he suddenly bent down, covered his lips and vomited.

Xue Yuanyin was startled and stood up on the spot: "What's wrong?"

Zhang Jingxuan paused for a long time before saying, "Go and take a look."

Xue Yuanyin entered the toilet with a heavy heart, and saw black and dirty lumps piled up into small hills. They were almost dried up, and they smelled terrible. They were so dirty that they were unbearable to look at, and they were everywhere.

The worst thing is that there is only one toilet, which is shared by men and women.

Xue Yuanyin ran out immediately and stood in the yard slowly, feeling her stomach churning.

It’s so horrible. What sin did she commit to end up in such a place?

Xue Yuanyin now deeply regretted that she had followed Zhang Jingxuan down the path. The thought of having to clean the toilet or otherwise having to go to the toilet with that pile of stuff made her feel nauseous.

What kind of remote place is this!

After calming down, Xue Yuanyin asked, "What are your plans now?"

Zhang Jingxuan was born into a family of noble birth, and had lived a life of luxury. He had never experienced anything like this before. His expression was so ugly that it couldn't be described. He said coldly:

"I want to take a bath."

Xue Yuanyin finally couldn't help but get angry:

"How can you bathe? There's no tub, no soap pods! And we've been here for half a day and haven't had a single bite of food or water!"

Zhang Jingxuan and her stared at each other, neither of them wanting to give in. Seeing that Xue Yuanyin was about to get really angry, Zhang Jingxuan gave in:

"Let's go out for dinner and buy some necessary things. I know you have some small change in your purse, so consider it a loan and I'll pay you back later."

The vegetables in the yard had all gone bad, and Xue Yuanyin had already thrown them away. Besides, neither she nor Zhang Jingxuan knew how to cook, so she nodded, untied her purse, and took out a piece of silver. This time, she spent half of it.

She felt very painful and said coldly: "This is all I can give you."

Zhang Jingxuan looked at the small amount of silver for a while, then took it and put it away. "Thank you very much."

-

The two were short of money, so they chose the cheapest noodle soup. After the meal, they separated without hesitation and went to the local market, stalls and teahouses to learn about the situation in Qingxi County.

They soon learned that Qingxi County was not as poor as they had imagined. The town was quite bustling and there were many wealthy families there. Only a small number of ordinary people and the surrounding areas were poor.

Qingxi County is located at a high altitude and is surrounded by rocks. Naturally, all livelihoods depend on the mountains. Along the way, you can see the local government office recruiting workers.

The identities of this couple were also very ordinary, and they could be found out by asking the clerk in the government office:

They came to the town from the countryside to work. The woman's hometown was far away and they had no contact for a long time. The man had an elderly mother who died two years ago. Therefore, no one else in the neighborhood knew them except their neighbors.

The couple lived in a remote area. Although they said they had neighbors, in reality, only a widow lived next door, and the others were across the street. The widow didn't socialize much, so Xue Yuanyin and Zhang Jingxuan didn't arouse anyone's suspicion for a while.

After wandering around for a long time, I gained little information, but I did buy a lot of utensils and other things. Although I chose cheap ones, I didn't have much money left after buying them.

Originally, the two wanted to buy a servant, but now they had to give up.

Back in the shabby yard, Xue Yuanyin didn't want to move a finger, but she was still filthy and hadn't showered yet. The two of them spent a long time fussing over the stove before finally starting a fire and boiling water. They each scooped water into a wooden bucket and returned to their rooms to shower.

As soon as Xue Yuanyin lay down on the bed, she fell asleep as soon as she closed her eyes.

…

The next day, Xue Yuanyin was awakened by the sound of dripping water.

She opened her eyes, sat up from the bed, and looked at the unfamiliar scenery around her. It took her a long time to realize that she was in Qingxi Town. Then she turned over and got out of bed, suddenly noticing a wet spot on the ground.

She looked out the window at the green scenery and realized it had rained last night. Suddenly realizing something, she looked up at the roof and discovered that the house was leaking!

Xue Yuanyin quickly dressed and went out, and happened to run into Zhang Jingxuan, who had a calm expression. He had changed into the cloth clothes he bought yesterday and was adjusting his cuffs.

She vaguely saw a hint of suppressed anger beneath the other person's calm face, and asked as if she had a telepathic connection, "Is your roof leaking too?"

Zhang Jingxuan didn't want to talk.

Xue Yuanyin got the answer from his expression, and suddenly felt balanced.

"Then we have to go get some wood today and try to repair the roof before sunset tonight."

After Xue Yuanyin said this, her stomach growled. She then realized something even more troublesome - they had no food to eat.

She looked at Zhang Jingxuan dimly.

Zhang Jingxuan finally revealed his unconcealable annoyance and said in a bad tone, "I have never been in the kitchen since I was a child."

Nothing had gone smoothly since yesterday. Xue Yuanyin was already in a bad mood this morning, and now she was feeling even more irritable.

"Then what should we do? Didn't we buy some vegetables and rice last night? If we don't learn how to cook, how are we going to eat?"

If I go out to buy things every day, I won’t be able to use that little change.

Zhang Jingxuan didn't answer, but pointed to the puddle in the yard and said, "It's been very damp all day, but the yard is a dirt road. We have to fix the leaking roof later, so we need to go out and get some wood. The puddles in the yard can't stay there all day. Who's going to sweep the yard?"

Xue Yuanyin looked at the puddles left by the rain. If the muddy ground was not swept, it would get all over her shoes. Her irritability increased a bit. She suppressed her emotions and said calmly, "You go to the kitchen to cook porridge, and I'll sweep it."

Zhang Jingxuan didn't move and said, "A gentleman should stay away from the kitchen."

"...You're really too particular." Xue Yuanyin couldn't help but taunt him with a sarcastic remark, not bothering to consider his reaction. "Then I'll cook the porridge and you clean up."

After the division of labor was completed, Xue Yuanyin entered the kitchen, but was at a loss as to where to start when faced with the unfamiliar things in the room.

Zhang Jingxuan had never been to the kitchen, so had she? What were these things used for? She had only seen Fuzhu use them before, but she had never touched them herself.

Having said that, the meal has to be cooked.

Xue Yuanyin first washed the vegetables she bought last night. There was a knife in the kitchen, but she didn't know how to cut, so she just cut them into small pieces.

What should you do next? Add lard?

Xue Yuanyin added the oil hesitantly, watching the oil bubble up little by little. While he was thinking, he suddenly heard a clicking sound outside the kitchen.

Xue Yuanyin quickly looked outside and saw Zhang Jingxuan standing next to the puddle, his shoes covered in yellow mud. He didn't show any emotion, and was even very calm, but he was holding a broken broom tightly in his hand.

Wait...he broke the broom?!

She was shocked and said, "Zhang Jingxuan, do you know what you are doing? This is the only broom in our yard!"

Zhang Jingxuan raised his head, frowning in self-control, and said, "It stained my soap boots. I didn't mean to, but I just used a little force and it broke."

Xue Yuanyin didn't know what to say. Her mind was full of how much it would cost to buy another broom. She began to feel angry, but before she could lose her temper, she heard a crackling sound coming from the pot behind her.

Oh no! She put oil in it!

Xue Yuanyin hurried back to the kitchen and saw that the oil in the pot had already boiled, and she couldn't help feeling resentful.

If Zhang Jingxuan hadn't been constantly causing trouble, how could she have been distracted?!

She hurriedly threw the vegetable leaves and water into the pot, and then saw a huge fire burst out from the pot. She was frightened and crawled out of the kitchen.

Then, there was a loud bang behind him!

Xue Yuanyin fell to the ground, eating a mouthful of mud, but he didn't care about it and quickly turned around to look -

The kitchen...exploded!!!

After a while, when the situation calmed down and the yard returned to silence, Zhang Jingxuan came over with the broken broom, reached out to help her up, and said with a somewhat cold tone:

"Weren't you just scolding me? In my opinion, your feat of burning down the kitchen is just as bad as mine."

Xue Yuanyin suddenly glared at him, suppressing the anger that was about to burst out, and said angrily, "Zhang Jingxuan, don't be so arrogant! Put aside your noble young man's bad habits."

"I'm arrogant?" Zhang Jingxuan sneered, as if she had heard something amusing. "Miss Xue, are you used to ordering people around? Or perhaps you've forgotten the current situation. Otherwise, why would you only target me with your arrogant temper?"

Xue Yuanyin was stunned for a second by his sharp rebuttal, and then her anger surged up, and she angrily said:

"Zhang Qu, do you want to quarrel? I am your creditor now, please be respectful to me!"

Zhang Jingxuan looked at her calmly, not saying a word for a long time. At this moment, a faint smell of burning wafted out from the kitchen. He threw the broom into the corner and strode towards the kitchen.

Xue Yuanyin also calmed down and walked with him into the awful kitchen, staring at the pitch-black pot, speechless for a moment.

Is this porridge...still edible?

Although no one spoke, they all knew one thing in their hearts -

The existential crisis that is right in front of us and cannot be resolved is truly urgent.

The author has something to say:

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The Rural Adventures of the Rich Young Master and Young Lady (ongoing):-D