This was Shangguan Wan Ning's first time traveling far away. In her previous life, she was protected too well by her parents and had no idea of the wickedness of the world and human nature. Now...
She prayed and worshipped Buddha along the way and visited many places.
After traveling intermittently for a month, she finally arrived at Qin Taiyi's hometown. She asked for medicine for her mother and sent someone to send it back, and found an excuse to stay and learn medical skills from Doctor Qin.
"My lady, I have found out."
After dinner in the evening, Shangguan Wanning had just returned to her room when Lutong came in excitedly, her smiling face full of excitement.
"I heard that Mr. Zhang's mother is also kind-hearted and a sincere Buddhist. Tomorrow is the fifteenth day of the lunar month, and she will go to the temple to burn incense."
Shangguan Wanning sat in front of the dressing mirror, nodded slightly, and took off the hairpin in her hair.
"Give orders to prepare a simple sedan chair for me tomorrow. Let's also go to the temple to add some money for incense."
"Yes. But..." Lu Tong walked behind Shangguan Wan Ning, picked up a comb and combed her hair, "Miss, I don't understand why you are so attentive to get close to an old lady from the folk? You and her have nothing in common at all."
Shangguan Wanning smiled sweetly, she didn't know how to explain to Lutong.
This old lady may save many lives in the future.
"When the time comes, you will understand."
Lu Tong didn't ask any more questions and helped Shangguan Wan Ning to sleep.
No words were spoken that night.
The next morning, Shangguan Wanning came to the temple outside the town with only two sedan bearers and Lutong.
This temple is not very popular. Even on the fifteenth day of the lunar month, there are only a few people coming to burn incense.
Shangguan Wanning immediately saw the old lady kneeling before the Buddha and reciting scriptures devoutly.
She walked over silently and began to recite the scriptures.
About an hour later, the old lady stood up with the help of her maid. She looked at Shangguan Wanning who was wearing a veil beside her and walked away.
When the old lady walked out of the temple, a strong wind suddenly blew up from the already gloomy sky, and the wind was as sharp as steel knives.
"Madam, please wait a moment. I will ask the bearers to bring the sedan chair over." The maid said, and hurried out.
The old lady seemed to be worried. She looked at the gray sky in the distance and took a step forward absentmindedly. Unexpectedly, she stepped on empty air and fell to the ground.
"Ma'am, are you okay?"
This scene was seen by Shangguan Wanning who was walking out. She quickly stepped forward and helped the old lady up.
The old lady turned pale from the pain after falling.
Shangguan Wanning took out her handkerchief and spread it on the steps, then helped the old lady sit down. She saw the old lady shiver, so she took off her cloak and put it on her.
"Thank you, little girl." The old lady looked at Shangguan Wan Ning with a smile, "You look unfamiliar. You don't seem to be from our town?"
Shangguan Wanning lowered her eyes and smiled faintly. Even the thin veil could not conceal her stunning beauty.
"I'm here to study medicine, and I want to go back and take care of my mother's health."
The old lady's favorable impression of Chu Xueying increased a little more, and she nodded with a smile. "A filial and sensible child will have a good fate. Besides, I see that you are so sincere in worshipping Buddha."
Shangguan Wanning sat down next to the old lady. She was secretly delighted. She didn't expect that even God was helping her and that it would be so easy to get close to the old lady.
The old man and the young man chatted for a while and got along very well, until the old lady's maid came with the sedan bearers.
The old lady invited Shangguan Wanning to visit her home the next day, and Shangguan Wanning gladly agreed.
The next day, Shangguan Wanning came to Zhang's house with the ointment prepared by Doctor Qin.
Madam Zhang had already arranged for servants to wait outside the door.
The Zhang Mansion was built in the center of the town. It was just a house with two entrances and two exits and looked very low-key.
However, Shangguan Wanning could see that every piece of furnishings in the room was priceless.
After all, Madam Zhang’s son is the largest rice merchant in the country, and the Zhang family controls almost half of the rice in the Central Plains.
In the following days, Shangguan Wanning studied medicine with Imperial Doctor Qin while keeping Old Madam Zhang company.
The weather was getting colder and colder, and her heart was slowly sinking.
The first heavy snow of winter finally came. Shangguan Wanning looked at the falling snow and couldn't help but frowned in pain.
The snowstorm arrived as expected, just as I remembered.
The blizzard continued, and the entire northwest region was covered in ice and snow.
The autumn harvest was not ideal this year, and the people were running low on food. In the past, they could go into the mountains to find some game to fill their stomachs, but now, it is difficult to even go up the mountains or go out.
The continuous heavy snowstorms crushed houses, causing countless deaths and injuries among the people. They were forced to leave their homes and wander around, and countless people froze to death or starved to death.
"Miss," Lu Tong had never experienced such severe cold before. She wrapped herself up like a dumpling but was still shivering from the cold. "How about... let's go back to the capital."
Shangguan Wanning felt a little sorry when she saw that Lutong's hands were covered with frostbite.
She took Lu Tong's hand, wrapped it in her palm, rubbed it gently, and comforted her: "I'm sorry for bringing you here to suffer with me. But... you can't go back now. I promise you that I will take you home after the snowstorm."
"Yeah." Lu Tong nodded with tears in her eyes.
With a lady who treats me so well, I would be willing to die here.
Shangguan Wanning saw countless victims rushing into the city, hoping to get help from the government.
She counted on her fingers the days when Xiao Yujue would be ordered to provide disaster relief.
"Doctor Qin, please use this money to buy me some rice and flour. I want to set up a tent at the entrance of the town to distribute porridge."
Shangguan Wanning took out her own private money and gave it to Doctor Qin.
Doctor Qin secretly took a deep breath, pondered for a while, and persuaded: "Miss, I know you mean well. But the current situation is that there are too many people and too little rice, and the price of rice has risen sharply. I am worried..."
"I understand. I have already written a letter to my father. I think he will report the disaster here to the emperor as soon as possible. As for the rest..."
Shangguan Wanning walked to the window, looked at the snow outside, and said solemnly: "If we can save one person...it counts as one."
Doctor Qin took Shangguan Wanning's silver to buy rice. The owner of the rice shop heard that the rice was used for disaster relief, so he sold it to her at the original price.
Soon, a tent was set up at the entrance of the town to distribute porridge. Every day, people lined up to receive porridge from morning till night.
Just as Doctor Qin said, this little bit of food is just a drop in the bucket.
"Why didn't the government open the warehouse beams?"
After the disaster began, Shangguan Wanning felt strange because she didn't see any action taken by the government.
Doctor Qin stroked his beard and said calmly, "Miss, you don't know that the situation in the northwest is different from other places."
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