Chapter 39: Escape from Marriage White Moonlight 16 Winter Passes and Spring Comes

Lu Jingming left.

Ali was so busy during the day that he didn't know until he came back at night.

Uncle Wei sat at the table sighing, and Aunt Wei stopped talking, but silently brought a bowl of Yuanxiao to Ali.

Today happens to be the Lantern Festival.

Ali took the spoon blankly, scooped up a glutinous rice ball and put it into his mouth, and was so burned that tears came out.

Aunt Wei quickly went to get some ice cubes. Ali opened his mouth, feeling as if there was a void in his heart.

The yard was quiet, no different from usual, but it was indescribably deserted.

Ali melted an ice cube in his mouth and his mouth felt much better. Not wanting to waste it, he picked up the spoon and continued eating.

Aunt Wei's buns were filled with sesame filling. They were sweet and soft, with a springy texture. Ah Li loved sweet things, and he praised them repeatedly, "Aunt's cooking skills are getting better and better. I could finish this whole bowl."

Aunt Wei smiled slightly and said, "Eat more if you like. There's more in the pot."

Ali didn't have time to answer, and stuffed one Yuanxiao after another into his mouth. When the bowl of sweet Yuanxiao was empty, Ali's face turned red and his nose felt sore.

She wiped the corners of her eyes casually. How come I ate so much but still had no taste at all?

Aunt Wei knew she was sad and patted her: "Before you return home, Master, I have a few more things for you."

The two came to Ali's room. As soon as Ali entered the room, he was tripped by two large boxes that appeared out of nowhere in the middle.

"What's this?"

Aunt Wei came over and said, "These are what the young master said he wanted to give you."

She opened the first box, which was filled with classics, history books, and anthologies. "The master said that he hopes you will study hard in the future, learn the principles of life from the sages, and not just be obsessed with money."

"He also said that he knew the young lady was... extremely stingy and would definitely not spend money on books, so he left all the books he had read to the young lady, hoping that the young lady would study hard and encourage herself at all times."

Ali's sadness and melancholy immediately vanished. He stopped Aunt Wei and said seriously, "If the remaining box contains the same thing, then there's no need to open it. I won't look at it."

Aunt Wei shook her head. "I don't know what's in this box either. The young master said that the young lady should open it when she's alone."

As she spoke, she pulled out a box from her sleeve and handed it to Ali: "This is also given to you by the young master."

"The young master also said at the end, if you want to leave, you can take all these things with you. If you want to stay, the old man and I will guard this house forever."

After saying that, she stroked Ali's stunned face, closed the door and left.

Ah Li hadn't recovered from the words just now. She blinked several times quickly, unscrewing the box in her hand while muttering, "Only a fool would take such a big box of books away—"

As he was speaking, the box was opened and Ali stood there in a daze.

Inside was the box full of pearls that Lu Jingming had wanted to give her on the carriage that day, not a single one missing.

With shaking hands, she placed the box on the table and looked at the last box that had never been opened.

It was obviously a very simple matter, but Ali felt a little timid at the moment.

She paced around the room for a long time, thinking and hesitating again and again, and finally squatted in front of the box, took a few deep breaths, and opened the lock on it.

Ali covered his eyes and looked over bit by bit. His eyes gradually lit up and he suddenly sat down on the ground.

Inside was a whole box of silver and land deeds!

What a rich man this is!

Ali sat on the ground with his eyes wide open, with only this one thought in his mind.

It was only after Lu Jingming left that Ali realized for the first time how valuable this acquaintance was.

The things in the box were enough to provide her with food and clothing for the rest of her life. She couldn't even imagine such a lavish expense.

Before going to bed, Ali opened the heavy box for the umpteenth time, his fingers skillfully touching the cold gold and silver, fearing that all this was just a dream.

After counting the silver and the land deeds from inside to outside, Ali had seen enough for the time being and closed the box carefully.

She reluctantly returned to bed and covered herself with the quilt, secretly warning herself again in her heart not to be blinded by the money she had earned for nothing.

This money will eventually run out, so we must never live off it!

Ali laughed again as she thought about it. She slipped out of bed quietly and opened the lock on the box with another silly smile.

*

Winter has passed and spring has come. This year, spring in Shangxi County has come earlier than in previous years.

Ali took off his bulky winter cotton-padded clothes, planted all the seeds of crops in one go, and hurried to Xu Ying's shop. A cargo ship was sailing today, and Ali had been coveting it for a long time, and finally he could go out with them.

The cargo ship set sail from Shangxi County and went south to Wucheng County thousands of kilometers away, where it unloaded the cargo and then returned.

Ali stood on the deck, looking back at the gradually shrinking Shangxi County Pier, breathing the humid air, feeling extremely excited.

Xu Ying, dressed neatly, walked over to her and handed her a cup of hot tea. "Is this your first time on a boat?"

Ali smiled and nodded: "It's my first time on a boat, and also my first time going to such a far place."

The two of them leaned against the side of the boat, with the white sails hoisted high above their heads, as if they could take them anywhere in the world.

Ah Li looked at the shimmering water and said to Xu Ying, "Sister Yingzi, when the weather gets warmer, please teach me how to swim."

"Okay." Xu Ying agreed readily.

The cargo ship sailed on the water for several days and arrived at Wucheng County.

The temperature here is much higher than that in Shangxi County. Ali followed Xu Ying off the boat and was filled with curiosity along the way.

Wucheng County was very prosperous and bustling. Everyone I met on the road had a friendly smile on their face. Even when they saw Ali's ugly scarred face, there was no look of scrutiny or contempt.

Ali slowly put the veil that he was about to wear behind him.

Xu Ying leaned close to her ear and said, "I told you not to worry. I've been here a few times before, and it's really different."

The group found an inn to stay in. Ali came here just to see the world, and there wasn't much work for her to do. During her free days, she walked through all the streets and alleys of Wucheng County.

By the time they returned, the confusion in Ali's heart when she came had dissipated a lot. This world is far more vast than she had imagined, which is something she could not see no matter how many books she read.

Ali took a bite of the crispy grilled fish and suddenly thought of Lu Jingming who was far away in Xingyang County. He wondered what he was doing now?

Perhaps she inexplicably thought of Lu Jingming on the way. On the way back to Lu's house from the dock, Ali heard no less than ten conversations about Lu Jingming. She shook her head. Could it be that she was hallucinating because of seasickness?

She slapped her forehead and walked to the gate of the Lu family courtyard, only to see that the gate was blocked by a group of people.

Ali rubbed his eyes again, and after confirming that it was not an illusion, he hurried over.

"Make way! Make way!"

But the group of scholar-looking people in front of him seemed to be deaf to his words and did not give in at all.

Ali took a few steps back, rolled up his sleeves slowly, raised his elbows, and pushed one by one, quickly clearing a path through this group of bean sprout-like scholars.

But she obviously underestimated the strength she had gained from daily work and the weakness of these powerless scholars. The people she gently pushed away fell to both sides one by one. As soon as Ali rushed out, she heard screams. When she turned around, she saw that everyone behind her had fallen down.

She didn't care about anything else, she closed the gate and rushed to Uncle Wei and Aunt Wei's house: "Uncle Wei, Aunt Wei, are you okay?!"

Uncle Wei came out of the house, his face full of confusion: "A-Li is back, what's going on with us?"

Ali pointed to the door and said, "What are those people doing? I thought something happened to you."

Uncle Wei sighed and told Ali the whole story.

It turned out that today was the day when the results of the Spring Examination were announced. Those outside the door were all scholars who had passed the exam in Shangxi County. These people had been instructed by Lu Jingming in the past. After seeing the list, they came to the door with gifts, insisting on thanking Lu Jingming.

"I've told them many times that the young master is no longer here and that these gifts cannot be accepted, but they won't listen and keep arguing." Uncle Wei blew his beard, feeling helpless. "There's nothing I can do but close the door."

"Master Lu, we have come to visit you and express our gratitude for your kindness. We must repay you in person. Please open the door!"

"Master Lu, if you don't open the door, we will wait outside and won't leave!"

"Mr. Lu, please show up! If I can't give this gift, my father will beat me to death!"

"What are you talking about? How can you threaten me with this?"

The person outside the door was still shouting, but the voice didn't seem to belong to the scholar who had just fallen down after being pushed.

Ali was annoyed by the noise. Seeing that Uncle Wei and Aunt Wei were indeed fine, he went back to the house, changed into clean clothes, and then rushed to the farmland without stopping.

During the few days she was away, Shangxi County had a nice light rain, moistening the soil in the fields, and Ali felt relieved.

She sat in the shed by the field. The things that Lu Jingming had picked and chopped up with her at that time were now useful. She nestled comfortably in the mink blanket, her feet leisurely stepping on the purple jade footstool, and suddenly she tasted the joy of stealing a half day of leisure from her busy life.

When Ali was drowsy, a figure appeared in his sight. He looked very weak, like a scholar.

Scholar?

Ali quickly sat up, walked quickly to the edge of the field, and squinted his eyes to try to see who was coming.

Could it be that those people at the gate had chased us here? Lu Jingming wasn't here either.

Ali was ready to run away at any time, but after looking at him carefully for a while, he always felt that this person was familiar.

The man was wearing a scarlet python robe, a jade belt around his waist, and black official boots, which made his figure look even more upright like a pine tree. When he moved, the cuffs of his sleeves shone faintly, making him look very noble.

He had a handsome face and eyes as bright as ink. He walked across the crisscrossing fields, neither hurried nor slow, like a banished immortal, with a dazzling elegance, and came straight towards the stunned Ali.

Seeing Ali standing there in a daze, Lu Jingming bent a finger and tapped her forehead. His peach blossom eyes were reserved, and the corners of his light-colored lips were slightly raised, showing the youthful spirit.

"I haven't seen you for a few months. Why are you acting stupider?"