Chapter 65
Xie Lang walked to the bedside, his bloodshot eyes fixed on her like hooks.
Chapter Sixty-Five
Xie Wu gritted his teeth, wanting to punch someone!
Don't they know that adults don't like women touching them? How come he got into trouble just because he couldn't keep an eye on them!
He hesitated, about to speak, when the adult shot him a sharp glare. Xie Wu immediately tensed up.
In the past six months, the adults have become much more ill... Even he no longer dares to joke around with the adults as he used to.
The man is now cold and silent, like a cold, unfeeling blade. You can no longer exchange a few words with him as you used to.
Adults these days are as hard as iron.
Xie Lang lightly waved his index finger, signaling the guard to continue.
The guard was honest and straightforward; he would go east if the master said east, and west if he said west, let alone just ask what the matter was today.
He continued, “At first, the woman seemed to be in a daze for some reason, as if she was very nervous, and her forehead was sweating. I thought to myself, it's not even summer yet, why is it so hot? Could she be a spy hiding somewhere? Just as I was hesitating whether to go forward, I saw that the woman moved much more skillfully when she started moving again, as if she had treated these wounds before.”
"What do you look like?" Xie Lang asked hoarsely.
This was the first time the guard had heard the lord's voice now, and he was stunned for a moment. But when he saw the lord's expression gradually become serious and impatient, he immediately came to his senses and stammered, "That woman always kept her head down, so I didn't see her face clearly. I just felt that she was a gentle person."
When has an adult ever asked such detailed questions about a woman, except...?
Xie Wufu's mind raced, his eyes widened in shock, and his heart nearly jumped out of his chest!
Xie Lang waved to Xie Wu, who then knew that his master intended to make the trip himself!
He watched as the master put down his night clothes and changed into a moon-colored bamboo brocade robe, which his wife had made for him. He had found it by chance deep in the wardrobe after his wife left; it must have been made by his wife long ago, but he didn't know why she hadn't given it to him.
The adults would stare blankly at this robe, but never wore it.
This was the first time I had worn it, and I carefully bandaged it up so that no blood would stain the new clothes.
Xie Wu didn't understand. If he cherished even things that his wife hadn't given him, how could his wife have fallen so close to his master that they would never see each other again?
After all, everyone knows how much the lady loves the master.
After leaving the villa, Xie Lang did not ride a horse, but chose to walk.
But he stopped as he approached the clinic and looked up at the plaque hanging high above—Zhilan Clinic.
Just a few steps away from entering, Xie Lang suddenly stopped, feeling a sense of trepidation, as if he were approaching home. It was an emotion he had never experienced before, which trapped him there, making him savor it.
Just then, a scholar walked out of the clinic, shaking his head and looking quite dejected.
"Miss Lin is not here. Hasn't this trip been in vain?"
The scholar and his companion waiting on the street complained in low voices, "I wonder if Miss Lin's family has arranged a marriage for her? I've already written to my family, imploring them to propose to her... Do you think she'll agree?"
With just a few words, the scholar felt a chill run down his spine, as if he were being stared at by a wild beast.
He was chased by wild boars when he went up the mountain to dig for wild vegetables when he was a boy, so he really had experience with it.
The words he hadn't finished choked in his throat. The scholar hurriedly looked around, only to meet a pair of deep, gleaming eyes. Startled, the scholar took two steps back, quickly turned his face away, and dragged his companion away.
It seems Miss Lin has many admirers, and she's run into a formidable rival!
Xie Wu watched the person leave, then immediately stared intently at the adult, fearing what the adult might do.
He had witnessed the tremendous changes in his wife over the past six months. She was like a festering sore on his body; it hurt even when not touched, and touching it only made it worse…
"Go and find out where she is."
"yes!"
Xie Wu accepted the order and left, but Xie Lang was in no hurry to return to the manor. He bought a mask from a street stall, put it on, and strolled around the street, trying to see what was so amazing about this place that made his wife linger.
She didn't even know to go home.
The village below Yingcheng has beautiful scenery and is not far from the town. The town is called Shennv Town, and the village is called Shennv Village, which is said to be related to the Regent.
There's a large market in town every ten days, and Liu Qingqing happened to arrive just in time for it. She had heard villagers who came for medical treatment talk about how lively the market was before, but this was her first time experiencing it firsthand.
Besides the usual vegetables and fruits, the market even sells live cattle, sheep, cats and dogs!
You can't eat cows; they're for work. Sheep, on the other hand, are fine to eat.
Yingcheng is located to the north, closer to the northwest, where mutton is delicious, so the people don't mind the gamey smell.
Some villagers who were good swimmers dug up turtles from some puddle and put them up for sale. The turtles were wild and untamed, and were stretching out their sharp snouts, waiting to bite people.
There were also stalls selling all sorts of food, both boiled and fried, which looked incredibly tempting. She browsed and bought some. There was also a clever little girl selling wildflowers; seeing how thin and pitiful the child was, she bought a bunch too.
Then they came across a stall selling silk flowers, picked out two pretty ones, one for her and one for Lin Mei, and pinned them directly in their hair.
Liu Qingqing was searching for a stall selling braised meat, its aroma incredibly enticing.
Liu Qingqing smiled and looked around. She noticed that some vendors and customers were arguing, and she would stop and secretly listen to the reasons behind their arguments.
What a vibrant day!
He couldn't help but shake his head, wondering what kind of life he had lived in the capital before!
As the young mistress of a marquis's mansion in the capital, she was the face of the mansion whenever she went out, so she dared not act recklessly here.
Liu Qingqing was so happy to stay here for a few days that she didn't want to leave. She thought Yingcheng was wonderful. She had originally planned to travel around the country, but now she felt that she could stay here for the rest of her life!
But it suddenly stopped!
It looks like someone is watching her!
The sticky, wet gaze made her scalp tingle and her hair stand on end, awakening in her bones the animalistic vigilance against predators. She carefully and subtly turned her head, but saw nothing.
Behind her were only a crowded group of people dressed in coarse linen clothes, all going about their own business, and no one was looking at her.
She turned her head away to suppress the doubts churning in her heart, and hesitated slightly. Was she overthinking things?
She took two steps forward, then turned back and met a pair of kind eyes. Looking down, she saw a simple little table covered with a white cloth, next to which hung a banner that read: "Being content with one's fate, one has no worries."
The person behind the table appeared to be past fifty, wearing a tall crown adorned with pearls and jade, and a wide-sleeved robe embroidered with exquisite auspicious cloud patterns. A silk ribbon around his waist was hung with various ritual implements, giving him a solemn and mysterious air.
He was completely out of place in this small village market.
Oh, he's a fortune teller.
Seeing her looking over, the old man nodded kindly but reservedly.
The men and women in the village are only concerned with not going hungry, so how could they have spare money to have their fortunes told?
Therefore, no one was seen approaching the stall during this time. What's more, everyone would take a few steps around it when passing by, as if they were afraid of being touched by the evil aura that could swallow people's coins.
Just then, Mingming was surrounded by a lively atmosphere.
But she heard a rumbling sound from her stomach.
The change happened so fast that she and the old man stared at each other, watching as the old man's not-so-fair, wrinkled face gradually turned red.
He did lose his air of otherworldly elegance.
Liu Qingqing glanced over and noticed that the old man was wiping his forehead, and there were patches on the area covered by his wide sleeves.
Liu Qingqing glanced at the sesame seed cake wrapped in oil paper in her hand; it was still steaming hot.
She thought for a moment, then took two steps forward and placed the item on the old man's table. She turned and left.
"Girl, fish can't survive without water."
The old man hesitated for a moment, then called out to her, saying mysteriously, "Why don't you turn around and take a look? You might see something new."
Liu Qingqing stopped, her eyes filled with doubt, not understanding his meaning.
The old man picked up the flatbread, stroked his sparse goatee, took a bite without hesitation, and savored it. "Good flatbread, good flatbread."
“Young lady, I am grateful for the cake you gave me. If you trust me, please go home as soon as possible.”
After saying that, he waved his hand at her, making a gesture as if to shoo her away.
Liu Qingqing nodded, somewhat bewildered.
This interruption dampened their high spirits considerably.
He didn't even bother looking for braised meat, and tugged at Lin Mei's sleeve to signal her to go back.
These past few days, Liu Qingqing has been staying at the village chief's house. The village chief has just built a new house but hasn't moved in yet, so when he learned of her arrival, he quickly offered her the house. This is all because Liu Qingqing is a great benefactor of the village.
The land in Shennv Village is scarce and infertile, and crops never yield good harvests. People barely manage to get by year after year, not even having enough to eat, just barely surviving.
No one knows when, but perhaps it was fate that brought a goddess to the village of Goddess.
One day, Liu Qingqing came to discuss leasing idle land to grow medicinal herbs. The previous year, fearing their doubts, he had even given them an advance payment of half the money. The village immediately became abuzz with excitement.
What can be planted in winter?
No crops can be planted in winter!
Instead of leaving it empty, why not rent it out? Who would turn down money?
Moreover, they gave half the money upfront.
That meager sum of money improved the lives of the entire village; at least they no longer had to eat thin porridge every day, and could at least have some dry rice. Villagers with pre-existing ailments also benefited from this good fortune; when Doctor Zhang came to check on the rice seedlings, he also took their pulses and prescribed medicine.
Now that Liu Qingqing has come to the village, he is treated better than the village chief!
However, Liu Qingqing still gave the village chief money for lodging, and thus stayed at the village chief's new house without any hesitation.
It's called a new house, but it's really just a small courtyard.
It's better than the other houses; it's a brick and tile house, and the ground is paved with bricks. That way, you won't get your feet covered in mud when it rains.
The village chief's family is quite wealthy.
Hearing that the village chief's son was going to find a wife, they prepared a house in advance.
Therefore, Liu Qingqing did not take the main house from the other party, but only lived in the east wing.
The east wing has three rooms: the middle one is the main hall, the left one is the bedroom, and the right one is a greenhouse.
Liu Qingqing lived in the bedroom, and Lin Mei lived in the greenhouse on the right.
I had mutton soup and wontons at the market. Although I gave away the flatbread to others and didn't have time to buy braised meat, my stomach was already full.
The washing and grooming process wasn't as comfortable as it was at the Marquis's residence, and she didn't want Lin Mei to serve her in everything; she wanted to learn to do things herself. She couldn't be completely clueless and know nothing.
Xie Lang took her away alone at that time, which made her feel panicked and fearful.
Ordinary houses in Yingcheng don't have underfloor heating, and braziers are rare. When she first arrived, she was so cold in the winter that she developed a fever. Every time she opened the door, she couldn't help but shrink her neck to avoid the biting wind, but now she's gotten much used to it.
As Liu Qingqing prepared hot water for her wash, she inwardly praised herself.
They completely forgot that it was already a warm spring day.
She and Lin Mei washed up separately, but she couldn't stop Lin Mei from insisting on pouring her water, so she simply let it go.
She waited at the door with a candle in hand, and only after Lin Mei poured water and checked the door bolt did she go back to the room with Lin Mei. Lin Mei followed behind, closed the door, and then placed a crossbar across it.
After finishing these tasks, he escorted Liu Qingqing back to her bedroom, quickly making the bed before taking the candle and placing it on the wooden table beside her once Liu Qingqing was on the bed.
"Miss, please don't read any stories today, please get some rest."
"..."
Liu Qingqing didn't answer, so Lin Mei wouldn't leave. Liu Qingqing had no choice but to agree.
Over the past few months, only by spending time with Lin Mei did she realize how stubborn Lin Mei was. Once Lin Mei made up her mind about something, nothing could sway her. Just now, if she hadn't agreed, Lin Mei could have stood in front of her all night.
It was all because her eyes had been hurting for several days from reading storybooks late into the night. Lin Mei was doing it for her own good, and she appreciated it.
Before leaving, Lin Mei carefully checked that the windows were closed tightly, and only left after she had done so.
Liu Qingqing listened as Lin Mei closed the bedroom door, stepped across the main room, and entered the greenhouse.
The footsteps faded into the distance, until finally there was no sound at all.
Every night, melancholy and longing would surge up like giant waves, engulfing her.
I wonder how Li Mama and the other two are doing.
Xie Lang...
She hadn't thought of Xie Lang for a long time, and now, several months later, she no longer hated him.
She has always been forgetful.
Even if it's someone or something that causes her pain, she'll let time heal it, turn the page, and choose to forget it.
Her life should not be wasted on hatred.
It was the same back in the Liu family mansion, and it is the same now that we have left the capital and come to Yingcheng.
All she wanted was to live a good life.
Several months later, looking back on the past, she no longer hated them.
If she were Xie Lang, inexplicably bound to an inappropriate yet inescapable marriage, she wouldn't harbor resentment, nor could she have treated him with the same thoughtfulness Xie Lang showed. It's said that a gentleman judges by actions, not intentions; he may have said some unpleasant things, but now, having calmed down, she knows exactly how he treated her.
I was blinded by love back then, and I domineeringly wanted to win him over.
Is it a heinous crime for him not to love her?
No, that's his freedom.
She has now given him the greatest freedom possible, which is also her way of apologizing to him and making amends.
Given Xie Lang's gentlemanly conduct, he would likely treat Granny Li and the others well.
Although she was still shocked when she saw him a few days ago, she wondered how he had been so busy with official duties in the past six months. He was not as handsome as before and instead looked stern.
But this has nothing to do with her anymore.
As for the princess...
They were keeping their own affairs a secret.
Her mother.
She became even more indifferent.
Perhaps in their eyes she was too insignificant, not worthy of being treated with sincerity.
Her time in the capital was not pleasant; it was a thing of the past, a completely overturned chapter.
Perhaps Xie Lang's appearance had some impact on her, because Liu Qingqing tossed and turned for a while before finally falling asleep.
Before going to sleep, she was still thinking about when Xie Lang would leave Yingcheng, and whether she would be able to make it to the next market. She hadn't even had any braised meat yet.
As for the fortune teller's rambling words, she had long since forgotten them.
In an instant, Liu Qingqing's breathing became even, and she drifted off to sleep.
The wardrobe door opened silently, and jade-like fingers pressed against the thin wooden board. Xie Lang walked to the bedside, his bloodshot eyes fixed on her like hooks.
[Author's Note]
Next chapter preview:
"Madam, it's been a long time."
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