Chapter 130 (The Eve of the Lunar New Year)

As the year draws to a close, military affairs become increasingly busy, and Xie Pei couldn't get away all morning. When he finally managed to catch his breath, he couldn't find Zhu Mingyue anywhere.

Xie Pei's brow twitched: "Did I tell you where I went?"

Zhong Kai slapped his forehead, somewhat annoyed: "I came here this morning and met Young Master Zhu. He saw that you were busy and didn't want to bother you, so he asked me to tell the general that he needs to go into the city to get some things and will probably be back by noon."

Having promised Xie Pei that she would stay with him in the camp for a while, Zhu Mingyue naturally wouldn't break her promise.

He came without taking anything, and went back to the inn early this morning to retrieve his belongings.

Furthermore, I didn't see Wang Zongxiu and the others yesterday after they came out of prison. They suffered this undeserved misfortune because of me. As the manager, wouldn't it be too inhuman of me not to even offer a word of concern?

Yin Xue trotted all the way to the inn's entrance. Zhu Mingyue dismounted and saw Guan Jing eating corn as he greeted her at the inn's entrance.

"Shopkeeper, you're back!"

Zhu Mingyue smiled at him and said, "I'm just back to pick up some things and then I'll leave."

Guan Jing exclaimed in surprise, "You're still leaving? Are you living in the military camp?"

Zhu Mingyue nodded without saying a word.

Guan Jing took a bite of corn and asked, puzzled, "Military camps are all about living in tents, which are cold in winter and very uncomfortable. Why doesn't the innkeeper stay at the inn?"

"Inns are so nice! They're warm and comfortable, and you can go out for a stroll whenever you want. They're nothing like military camps," Guan Jing thought to himself, unable to understand it.

Zhu Mingyue blushed slightly. "The military camp is quite nice, it's lively."

"By the way, how were you all yesterday?"

Guan Jing smoothed Yin Xue's sideburns and ushered him into the inn. "It's nothing. He was only in jail for half a day and then he was out. Neither of us brothers suffered any hardship."

Wang Zongxiu was also eating corn on the first floor. When he saw him come, he threw him one.

Zhu Mingyue didn't eat it; she just held it in her hand and covered it with her hands.

"Thanks for yesterday."

Zhu Mingyue smiled and said, "This matter was caused by me. I'm sorry for causing you trouble."

Wang Zongxiu waved his hand calmly: "It has nothing to do with you, so there's no need to feel guilty."

"Speaking of which, I have to thank you. If I had sold this grain to the grain shop, I would have been in trouble."

Zhu Mingyue tilted her head slightly, somewhat puzzled: "What do you mean by that?"

Wang Zongxiu looked around and pulled him to a corner. "Fortunately, the grain was sent to the military camp, so General Xie still has a reason to rescue us. If I had sent the grain to the grain shop, not only would the grain be gone, but I would also be in jail. That would have been a complete loss."

Wang Zongxiu was still shaken: "The prison in Jizhou is overcrowded, and not all of them are criminals. I've inquired around, and some of them were arrested for their grain business."

“Those people are no different from bandits. They still commit evil under the banner of the Governor of Jizhou. If you resist, they will use their privileges to throw you into prison.”

Zhu Mingyue sighed, "This is far too arrogant."

"Those innocent people who were imprisoned..."

Wang Zongxiu interrupted him: "Don't worry, they're all just leeks. They'll be harvested one crop after another. They'll be released after being locked up for a while."

Zhu Mingyue: ...

"Let's not talk about these things. Today is New Year's Eve. Let's not think about these things anymore. Let's have a good New Year in Jizhou."

Zhu Mingyue nodded: "I almost forgot to tell you, tomorrow is the New Year. There will be bonfires in the barracks at night for the soldiers to gather around and have fun. Do you want to go and join in the fun?"

Wang Zongxiu: "The Jizhou Camp has this kind of activity?"

Zhu Mingyue: "Of course, those soldiers can't go home or see their families during the holidays. It's good to hold some activities to liven up the atmosphere."

Wang Zongxiu agreed, "Indeed. But we won't go. Guan Jing said Chunhua Tower is bustling! He's been saying he wants to go for a stroll."

Since he had other plans, Zhu Mingyue didn't try to persuade him further. She tossed him a small bag of silver and said, "Take this as a holiday gift from me to my brother."

The reason Wang Zongxiu was willing to work for Zhu Mingyue was because he appreciated this trait of Zhu Mingyue's: he was always generous with money for his own people.

Wang Zongxiu weighed the silver in his hand, didn't stand on ceremony, and pocketed it directly, then asked him, "What are your plans? Are you just going to spend the festival in the military camp?"

“Hmm,” Zhu Mingyue handed him the cold corn as well: “I will be staying in the military camp for a while, but it is relatively easy to leave the camp. After the New Year, we should explore Jizhou more and see if there is a suitable place.”

Wang Zongxiu: "Sure, I've been in Jizhou for the past two days with nothing to do, so I'll take a stroll around and take a look for you."

Zhu Mingyue went upstairs to pack her things, and before leaving, she said, "Don't cancel my reservation, you can keep the room!"

After leaving the inn, Zhu Mingyue did not immediately return to the military camp. Instead, she took Yin Xue and strolled around the most bustling street in Jizhou City for a while.

Jizhou City is much more lively than usual this year. Perhaps it is because the southern barbarians have been temporarily repelled and the people feel that the threat has disappeared. People come and go with smiles on their faces.

Zhu Mingyue couldn't help but smile slightly.

I went to the pastry shop first. It was crowded with people. I finally managed to squeeze in, but I couldn't see what kind of pastries they had. I just pointed to the counter and said in a show of wealth, "Give me two portions of everything."

The man next to him seemed to be challenging him, mimicking his tone and saying, "Give me two portions of each too."

Zhu Mingyue: ...

Carrying her arms full of pastries, Zhu Mingyue left the shop and went to the market to buy some pork and mutton. In winter, apart from radishes and cabbages, there were very few other vegetables available, so Zhu Mingyue just bought a little bit.

Seeing that it was already noon, and remembering the message he had asked Zhong Kai to give to Xie Pei that morning, he knew that if he didn't go back soon, he would be delayed, so he quickened his pace back to the military camp.

Just as we were walking along the way, a brightly lit sign came into view.

Zhu Mingyue stopped in her tracks, her gaze completely captivated.

This is a clothing store. The store looks very new, but there are very few customers inside, only a few people in twos and threes.

Compared to the clothing shops on the next street, business was extremely poor.

Zhu Mingyue tied Yin Xue to the door and went straight into the shop.

The shopkeeper hurried over to greet him, seemingly impressed by his distinguished attire and noble appearance, and treated him with great courtesy.

"Sir, although the clothes in our shop are expensive, you get what you pay for. From the style to the workmanship to the quality, these clothes are incomparable to those sold by other shops."

Zhu Mingyue listened to his introduction from the side and then browsed around the shop on her own.

In ancient times, clothing shops were not very large, and half of them sold clothes for young women. In just a few steps, he could see almost all the clothes.

He gently lifted a dark red, wide-sleeved robe. "How much silver does this cost?"

The shopkeeper's eyes lit up, and he enthusiastically recommended the garment: "This dress is wonderful! You truly have excellent taste, sir. This is the only one of its kind in our shop, and I guarantee it's the only one of its kind in the entire city of Jizhou." He then changed the subject, "So, as for the price..."

Zhu Mingyue didn't think she couldn't afford a piece of clothing. Even if it was expensive, it was still embroidered with needle and thread. How expensive could it be?

He remained extremely calm, rubbing the fabric against his skin to get a general idea of ​​what was going on, but still asked, "Tell me."

The shopkeeper was overjoyed and immediately announced the amount: "Twenty taels."

Zhu Mingyue's hand, which was touching the fabric, trembled violently, and she said with difficulty, "It's too expensive."

He retracted his previous statement. How expensive could clothes be? They were far more expensive than he could have imagined.

The shopkeeper got nervous as soon as he said it was expensive, because this was the only customer with considerable financial means he had encountered since he opened the shop.

Seeing that the man's appearance and demeanor were both excellent, he subconsciously assumed that this man must be a pampered young master from the home of some high-ranking official or nobleman. Logically speaking, such a person should not be short of money, so he used a little trick and raised the price on the spot.

Surprisingly, this young master wasn't entirely out of touch with reality; he even knew the price of clothes when buying them.

If Zhu Mingyue could hear his true feelings, she would definitely refute him.

Rich people are just rich, not stupid.

Putting everything else aside, everyone who goes to Mingyuelou for a meal is a wealthy person; they'd be overjoyed to win a discount coupon in a raffle!

Seeing that Zhu Mingyue had let go of the clothes, the shopkeeper quickly called out, "If you like this dress, I can sell it to you at a discount."

Zhu Mingyue turned her head and asked, "How cheap?"

The shopkeeper gritted his teeth: "Seventeen taels."

Zhu Mingyue lowered her eyes in thought. The workmanship of this dress was indeed exquisite. If it were in modern times, it would definitely be considered a luxury item, but the price was also quite touching.

After much deliberation, Zhu Mingyue decided to buy it anyway. It wasn't that she couldn't afford it; she had plenty of money. Could she really be so stingy as to not even buy her boyfriend a piece of clothing?

However, he didn't want to be ripped off, so he immediately bargained: "Fifteen taels! That's the only price I can accept. If it's any more expensive, I'll go to West Street to buy it."

"No!" The shopkeeper's face immediately changed when he heard about the clothing shop on West Street. "Fifteen taels it is, just consider it as making a good connection with you, young master."

Once the price was agreed upon, Zhu Mingyue paid readily. He was in a hurry to return to the military camp, so while the other party was packing up, he picked out a jade pendant with tassels.

They finally returned to Jizhou camp just before noon.

I ran into Sun Kan as soon as I entered the camp, so I gave him a few packets of pastries.

Sun Kan felt embarrassed to accept the money, but then he saw Yuan Fei already drooling. Yuan Fei's pathetic behavior made Sun Kan feel ashamed, so he quickly moved away from him, trying to distance himself from him.

Zhu Mingyue found Yuan Fei's tall stature quite amusing and gave him two packs as well.

"Thank you, sister-in-law!"

A mocking glint flashed in Sun Kan's eyes as he kicked him in the leg: "What sister-in-law? The general calls her sister-in-law, and you call her sister-in-law too? This is Young Master Zhu."

Yuan Fei, however, was quite bold and immediately changed his tune: "I wish you well, young master! I am Yuan Fei."

Zhu Mingyue smiled and said, "I know you."

Yuan Fei suddenly became very excited: "Did the general mention me to you?!"

cough cough

Zhu Mingyue coughed twice to cover her embarrassment. Actually, Sun Kan had mentioned that there was a big, simple-minded guy in the army named Yuan Fei who couldn't resist food.

He even laughed at the time, never expecting to actually meet the real person.

Faced with the expectant look on the other's face, Zhu Mingyue glanced at Sun Kan indifferently, feeling somewhat reluctant to tell the truth, and could only nod vaguely.

"I knew the general cared about me!" Yuan Fei was so happy he almost jumped for joy.

Zhu Mingyue: ...

Was he really not deceiving the feelings of a kind-hearted person?

Sun Kan: ...

That's it, this idiot is hopeless!

After saying goodbye to the two, Zhu Mingyue carried the package back to her tent.

Zhong Kai greeted him.

Zhu Mingyue smiled and then asked him, "Have you had lunch yet?"

“No,” Zhong Kai shook his head, “The general has been too busy these days and hasn’t had a meal yet.”

It was a lie that she was too busy to eat; she simply didn't want to eat. Xie Pei asked about Zhu Mingyue four times in just two hours that she was away from the military camp.

When asked, Zhong Kai began to question his life and had to re-examine the relationship between the two.