Chapter 29 Chapter 29 "No regrets!" (1+2 more...
The time they found it was two months earlier than in their previous life.
Zhang Jingxian felt that this was God's will, and that God was helping her get rid of her dark past. Otherwise, how could she have happened to meet them without even having to ask a single question?
The memories of the past replayed in her mind. She took a deep breath, clenched her palms tightly, and then calmly withdrew her gaze from Xie.
Don't be too deliberate, just drop a few clues here and there.
Gong Chengyue was too shrewd, and if one was not careful, he might target her. Although at this moment, Zhang Jingxian did not see the elegant scholar's robe and the iconic feather fan.
"Axian, what's wrong?" Zhang Shuanghu noticed that something was wrong with her and asked her.
They were right in front of Dr. Meng's clinic, so he could see the change in his niece's expression.
"Uncle, it's nothing. I just saw that those guys are just as the adults said just now, strong and not easy to mess with." Zhang Jingxian explained softly, holding the short bow on her body a little nervously. She deliberately did this to let Xie notice her.
Zhang Shuanghu also saw Xie and his men, mainly because their presence was too conspicuous. The murderous aura and strong physique made it obvious that they were not native to Wuyang County.
He frowned and subconsciously stepped in front of his niece. "Ah Xian, stop talking. Go find Doctor Meng first."
These people were all middle-aged men. Ah Xian was in her prime and in Zhang Shuanghu's eyes, she had a beauty similar to that of his own sister. He acted very carefully, fearing that she would cause trouble.
"Yes." Zhang Jingxian nodded obediently and walked into the clinic with her uncle.
Not far away, Xie noticed the gaze, and when his sharp tiger eyes looked over at him, the uncle and nephew only gave him a brief glimpse of their backs.
"Is it him? The man from Wuyang County who shot the wild wolf." Xie narrowed his eyes and quickly recognized Zhang Shuanghu by his back and a big bow.
They had met this man once before he separated from Gong Chengyue.
The warrior highly praised by Mr. Gongcheng, who has excellent archery skills and is from Wuyang County, is Xie's impression of Zhang Shuanghu.
"There's a clinic next door. The doctor there is named Meng, and his medical skills are said to be pretty good." A soldier spoke immediately after hearing Xie's words.
During the days they stayed in Wuyang County, they had almost figured out the situation. Doctor Meng, as the only person in the county who owned a clinic, was their main target of investigation.
"Judging from his attire, he doesn't look like a commoner in the city. His clothes are made of coarse linen, and his shoes are covered in mud. He must be from a village under the jurisdiction of Wuyang County." Another soldier added, analyzing Zhang Shuanghu's origin.
He rushed to the clinic for a long time, looking exhausted. It must be that he or his family members were sick and needed medical treatment and medicine.
Hearing this, Xie hummed casually and said in a deep voice, "After he leaves, let's go to the clinic and see what he did. He helped us with a small favor, and it's neither right nor wrong for you and me to turn a blind eye."
-
As soon as Zhang Jingxian walked into the clinic, Dr. Meng saw her and called her "Miss Zhang" in surprise.
"But the noble man has run out of medicine?" He thought Zhang Jingxian came over to get medicine for the noble man, and hurriedly asked the uncle and nephew to sit down.
The clinic is very small, with only two rooms, and the layout inside can be seen at a glance.
Zhang Jingxian nodded and waited for a patient to leave before she told him about Xie Yun's worsening leg injury. "It rained yesterday, and my husband's legs hurt a lot. He also has a fever. I'd like to ask Doctor Meng to come and see him in person."
Doctor Meng pondered for a moment, his expression solemn. "It rained heavily yesterday, and perhaps you have caught a cold. So, I will prescribe a cold-relieving medicine. Madam Zhang, take it back and give it to you. Tomorrow, I will go to the village to see you again."
It's too late today, and he has several patients waiting for him, so he can't leave for the time being.
Doctor Meng had a slightly apologetic look on his face. Zhang Jingxian pursed her lips and agreed.
Soon, the medicine to dispel the cold was prepared and handed to her.
Zhang Jingxian stood up and pretended to leave with her uncle, but when she was only one step away from the door of the clinic, she suddenly remembered something, turned back, and embarrassedly asked Dr. Meng if he could do her a favor.
"What help does Madam Zhang want me to provide?" Doctor Meng glanced at Zhang Shuanghu, who was also a strong man, and asked carefully.
"I have something given to me by my husband, and I would like to ask Doctor Meng to help me sell it." Zhang Jingxian took out a black jade from her sleeve and explained that she did not have enough money and needed to sell the black jade to buy clothes for Xie Yun.
She was unfamiliar with Wuyang County and worried about being cheated. Doctor Meng ran a clinic and had many connections, so he thought he could help her.
"I'm afraid it won't be easy to sell in the short term..." Doctor Meng looked at the black jade in her hand, and at a glance he judged that it was very valuable, and he hesitated.
"That's fine, Doctor Meng. You can try selling it first. If it works, one-tenth of the profits will go to you. If not, I have two or three trustworthy friends."
At this time, Zhang Shuanghu stood up and said lightly.
Although he didn't understand what his niece meant, he could see that her real purpose was definitely not as simple as selling a piece of jade.
Otherwise, just give him this piece of black jade.
The two or three friends Zhang Shuanghu mentioned were not bluffing, as evidenced by the two guards who were talking to him at the city gate.
He was not afraid that Doctor Meng would do bad things for the sake of profit. Nowadays, morality is very important. If Doctor Meng still wants to keep the clinic open, he will not forget the greater principles for the sake of small profits.
Sure enough, at this point, Doctor Meng smiled and agreed. With the confirmation of a patient at the clinic, they reached an agreement.
To show his sincerity, Doctor Meng also gave Zhang Jingxian three pieces of silk.
In Wuyang County, coins and gold and silver are rare. People here generally use silk, cloth and grain to buy what they need.
The three pieces of silk were of excellent quality, and Zhang Jingxian happily carried them out of the clinic.
"Uncle, shall we go to the tailor shop and buy some thick robes for my husband? He is a few inches taller than you."
The weather after the rain was indeed cooler than the previous few days. Zhang Shuanghu responded and walked in front of her without asking any more questions.
Seeing this, the girl quietly relaxed her body. With her uncle around, she felt more at ease no matter what she did.
"It's so hard to get into town, so I bought some salt and sugar, as well as some clay pots. Xia'er told me last time that she accidentally broke two of them."
"That girl is so naughty. No wonder she's been as well behaved as a kitten these past two days."
"She's afraid of being blamed."
"Buy some more pens and ink. Your Excellency is willing to teach you how to read. Ah Xian, remember not to be lazy."
…
The uncle and nephew came to the only market in Wuyang County and bought men's clothes, salt, sugar and other items. The three pieces of silk they exchanged for lay quietly in the wooden frame behind Zhang Jingxian, without moving at all.
Thanks to his outstanding archery skills, Zhang Shuanghu has never lacked money over the years.
As for Zhang Jingxian, she occasionally found rare things in the mountains, and she kept some of them and gave some to her uncle. Although her savings were not much, they were enough.
At this point, Zhang Shuanghu was even more certain that his niece had placed the black jade with Doctor Meng on purpose. He looked at her with a serious expression, and Zhang Jingxian lowered her head.
"Uncle, I want to eat meat pie. Please buy some and take it back." She asked for food in a low voice, looking like a child who had done something wrong.
Seeing her like this, Zhang Shuanghu's heart softened and he asked her to wait there while he went to the shop to buy it.
Zhang Jingxian agreed obediently, but as soon as Zhang Shuanghu left, she looked in a direction and left.
On a few houses not far away, there was a quaint wooden sign hanging with the words "Gongshu" written on it.
...Zhang Shuanghu bought some steaming hot meat patties and came back to find his niece waiting for him obediently, so he handed her a meat pie.
While there was still time, they had to get out of the city quickly, walk for a while at night and then return to Xishan Village.
-
When the figures of the uncle and nephew disappeared at the city gate, Xie walked into the clinic next door.
Doctor Meng had just taken the pulse of a patient. When he looked up and saw the strong man with strong qi and blood mentioned by the patient, he was stunned.
With such courage and physique, he doesn't look like someone who is sick.
"Have you come to the wrong place, brave man? This is a clinic." Doctor Meng came to his senses and reminded him, tactfully expressing that Xie was in good health and did not need medical treatment.
Hearing this, Xie shook his head expressionlessly, "You're not in the wrong place, Doctor Meng. I have something to ask you."
"What's the matter? Please tell me, brave man." Doctor Meng's heart was beating fast. These people had stayed in the guest house for a few days, and this was the first time they came to his clinic. When they spoke, their tone sounded stiff.
"Just now, a man carrying a large bow came to your clinic. Is he here to see a doctor or to seek medicine for his family? He once helped me with a small favor. In return, I will pay for his medical expenses." Xie took out a few coins and placed them in front of Doctor Meng.
Doctor Meng had not expected this development. When he came to his senses, he hurriedly declined the offer.
"Mrs. Zhang's medical expenses have already been paid, so there's no need for you to do this. Besides, the patient is a nobleman, so how could he be short of money and food?"
He explained a few words, his eyes fell on the brand new Wuzhu coin, an idea suddenly came to his mind, and he took out the black jade that Zhang Jingxian had entrusted to him.
This brave man wanted to repay Lady Zhang's uncle, and since he was very wealthy, why didn't he sell this black jade to him? He must have known what he saw.
"Look, warrior! This black jade is exactly what Madam Zhang entrusted to me..."
Doctor Meng was halfway through his words when Xie's aura suddenly changed and he snatched the black jade from his hand.
The thing that makes your hair stand out!
"Where is that Madam Zhang? Where did she go? Why is this black jade in her hands?" Xie's eyes widened angrily, and the surging murderous aura frightened Doctor Meng so much that he almost collapsed to the ground.
In particular, several strong men surrounded him quietly, heading straight for Doctor Meng with murderous intent.
"Brave man... Madam Zhang and her uncle must have left the city and returned home. This black jade is not hers, but was given to her by a noble..."
Doctor Meng was so frightened that he could hardly speak clearly. He explained the whole story tremblingly, including how the lady Zhang he mentioned had saved a noble man, and how generous and handsome the noble man was.
After hearing his description, Xie was delighted. Wasn't the nobleman described by the doctor his own envoy?
"Where is the home of Miss Zhang and how can I find her?" he asked anxiously, wishing to see the envoy immediately.
"Xishan Village is a bit far from Wuyang County. If we set out now, we will have to walk on the mountain road at night. Don't worry, my brave man. I happen to be going to diagnose the pulse of that noble man tomorrow. Why don't you come with me tomorrow?" Doctor Meng swallowed and answered nervously.
I don’t know whether these people are enemies or friends, I just hope he doesn’t cause any trouble!
Hearing that the villagers in Xishan were tough, he thought that if he took people there, there might still be room for recovery.
"Okay, Doctor Meng, please stay with us in the guesthouse tonight."
Xie put away the black jade and signaled Doctor Meng to leave with him.
Before they could ascertain the truth of the matter, Doctor Meng had to remain within their sight. If they discovered any deception in his words, they would kill him!
-
The moon rose slowly into the sky. Zhang Jingxian looked up at the dim blue sky and walked quietly beside her uncle.
Her uncle's tall stature gave her enough sense of security. She didn't have to bother listening to the sounds around her, she just needed to move forward step by step.
When you are hungry, eat a few bites of meat patties; when you are thirsty, drink the water in the water bag.
Gradually, a familiar scene came into her sight.
When they reached the entrance of the village, a yellow dog from someone's house barked a few times. Zhang Jingxian tried hard to make out a figure and curled her lips.
"Uncle, it's my aunt. She's waiting for us at the village entrance."
"Um."
Zhang Shuanghu's expression softened when he saw his wife. He quickly stepped forward and began to scold her, "Just stay home and wait for her. Why are you running out here? There are wolves in the mountains."
Liu Pingniang's eyes swept over Zhang Jingxian, and she said coldly to the man who came home late that she was not afraid of wolves, but she was afraid that he would encounter some disaster on the road.
"Have a safe journey, nothing bad has happened, let's go back." Zhang Shuanghu told her in a gentle voice that he had bought meat patties, salt, sugar and other things.
He didn't even pick up the two pottery jars that Xia'er broke.
Seeing this, Zhang Jingxian silently hid the two brand new pottery jars. Liu Pingniang glanced at her without saying a word.
"Uncle, you and aunt should go home quickly. This way is closer." She waved to Zhang Shuanghu and ran into the woods quickly.
"Ah Xian, slow down!" Zhang Shuanghu reminded her, but there was no worry on his face.
He personally taught his niece and was very confident in letting her live alone for four years. He thought it was just a walk at night and nothing serious.
He took out a still soft meat pie and let his wife eat it first. Liu Pingniang took it and seemed to curse him in a low voice. The figures of the two gradually blurred in the night.
Zhang Jingxian was walking on the way back to her home, looking around vigilantly. She was not afraid of wolves, but the last jackal had frightened her, so she had to be on guard.
There are also poisonous snakes that crawl around in a rustling manner, which can be fatal if stepped on.
For safety, she held a branch in her hand and kept hitting it, while her other hand was on the short bow at her waist, ready to draw the bow and shoot arrows if there was anything unusual.
Perhaps Zhang Jingxian was pleased by her nervous look, and suddenly she heard a faint laugh in her ears.
She was so frightened that she immediately dropped the branch, put an arrow on the bow and drew her bow.
"Ah Xian is so cruel. I heard the sound and came here to wait for Ah Xian to come home, but Ah Xian pointed the arrow at me." In the dark, the laughter became clearer and clearer.
The tall figure of the man appeared before Zhang Jingxian. She looked at him carefully, put away her bow and arrow, and whispered, "My dear husband, your leg injury hasn't healed yet. What are you waiting for me for? I have my uncle to accompany me, so the journey will be smooth."
"Really? I didn't see Ah Xian's uncle, but I saw you, Ah Xian, shaking with fear." Xie Yun raised her lips with a smile, but her words were merciless.
Zhang Jingxian stopped talking. She walked over with her head down, took the candlestick from his hand, and walked forward silently.
The light from the candlestick was only a little bit, which was actually useless. But strangely, she felt much more at ease when she held it in her hand.
When she reached the door of her house, Zhang Jingxian pushed open the gate and put down the candlestick.
At this time, the moonlight in the sky was bright enough.
She thought about it, took off the wooden frame on her back in the yard, and took out the things she bought in the city.
There were clay pots, salt, sugar, yellowed paper, pens and ink, several robes, some thick and some thin, and cold meat pies.
At the bottom were three pieces of silk and some cold-relieving medicine that he had gotten from Doctor Meng's clinic.
"My dear, I asked Doctor Meng to sell the black jade you gave me. I agreed to give him one-tenth of the profit. He gave me some silk first. I bought these robes at the clothing store. They look very clean. My dear, you can try them on."
Zhang Jingxian held the robe in her hands and showed it to him. In the night, there was a smile in her eyes.
Xie lived in the guest house next to the clinic. As long as Doctor Meng mentioned the black jade, he would definitely find it and follow the trail to find it.
Then, she would be truly free and would have nothing to do with him anymore.
She could also exchange the kindness of saving his life and taking care of him for the safety of her cousin and others, as well as some gold, silver and jewelry.
Xie Yun looked at her happy smile, took the robe nonchalantly, and asked her, "How did Ah Xian know my clothing size?"
"My dear, you are taller than my uncle, so just buy something two inches larger according to your uncle's height." Zhang Jingxian answered truthfully, and added that the shop only had a few robes of this size, so she bought them all and the shop owner gave her a discount.
"He also praised the young master's magnificent stature, saying that there was no other man in Wuyang County who could wear those robes."
Her eyes were full of sincerity and undisguised joy.
Xie Yun touched the rough material in her hand critically and responded reluctantly, "Never mind, what good things can a peasant girl with limited knowledge buy?"
He said calmly, "I'll wear it tomorrow."
"Well, I'll go to the kitchen to help my husband make medicine." Zhang Jingxian opened her eyes wide and saw that his face was still a little red. She took out the medicine bag given by Doctor Meng and went to the kitchen.
"Let's talk about it tomorrow. It's getting late." Unexpectedly, Xie Yun stopped her, even though he did feel a little uncomfortable.
"No, my dear, you have to take the medicine immediately. If the condition gets serious, even Doctor Meng won't be able to save you." Zhang Jingxian shook her head with a serious look on her face.
If he died of a fever, all her efforts would be in vain. It would be better for her not to save him in the first place.
After a moment of silence, Xie Yun leaned back, looking very relaxed, his black eyes fixed on her.
The burning gaze made Zhang Jingxian feel a little uncomfortable. She lowered her head and walked quickly to the kitchen.
After walking two steps, she stopped and imitated her uncle, taking out a piece of meat pie and giving it to him. "It's still soft. If you're hungry, you can have a few bites."
Xie Yun lowered his eyelids and looked at the rather ordinary-looking meat pie, his Adam's apple rolling slightly.
He grabbed her hand with great force.
The determined voice almost burst out of her throat. This peasant girl liked him.
Her methods were too crude, her flattery too clumsy, but shamefully, her scheming was in the right place.
"Ah Xian," Xie Yun called her name softly, with a strangely gentle tone.
Zhang Jingxian didn't understand what was going on and looked at him doubtfully, waiting for him to continue.
"Don't regret it, remember, don't regret it!"
When she set her heart on him, she had no room for regret.
"I... don't regret it. My dear, you can let me go now." Zhang Jingxian thought, how could she regret it? God gave her a chance to start over. If she repeated the same mistakes, she would really regret it!
"Okay." Xie Yun slowly raised his thin lips, and his long fingers left a clear mark on her wrist.
It's like a silent declaration, but also like another form of confinement.
She had herself come into his hands, and accepted it with delight.
-
Zhang Jingxian finished boiling the medicine. It was already two quarters past midnight. She watched Xie Yun drink the medicine, washed up hastily, and fell asleep as soon as she lay on the bed due to exhaustion.
The dream was very chaotic, sometimes it was about the past life, sometimes it was about the present.
But there is one thing in common, the figure of Xie appeared in the dreams. He is the most useful confidant of Xie Yun and also a member of the Xie family.
To some extent, he represented the Xie family's attitude towards her: first ignoring her, then despising her, and finally "friendly"ly making her recognize some facts.
Her existence would become a stain on Xie Jia Qilang. No son of a noble family would marry a poor peasant girl as his wife. She was dreaming.
In her previous life, Xie had taken her to meet those noble ladies from aristocratic families. He told her with a hint of pity, "The future of each person is determined from the moment they are born. I was born a servant of the Xie family, and my lady, you were never born to be part of such a wealthy family."
The rich versus the rich, the poor versus the poor, this has been the rule for centuries. She had wasted all her efforts, only to become a laughing stock in the eyes of some.
"The envoy's wife will only be one of them. You can stay with the envoy, but you will be a concubine at most."
Xie said to her, "Why bother? It's better to leave, to go home, to continue being a peasant girl in the mountains."
Zhang Jingxian agreed. She was very tired at that time and wanted to go home.
However, the final result was her death.
Xie was the one who watched her leave.
"I won't regret it." Zhang Jingxian opened her eyes with sweat all over her forehead. It was daybreak and her eyes were unfocused. She looked at the face so close to her and repeated it again.
"My dear, I won't regret it."
Even if he still taught her to read and write, even if he filled her loneliness and listened to her talk, even if he would welcome her home with a candlestick at night, she still would not regret it.
She had made the mistake once and couldn't make it again, otherwise she would be so stupid.
"Okay, you won't regret it."
Xie Yun keenly noticed that the peasant girl in front of him was simply mumbling in a nightmare, but this did not stop him from feeling particularly happy, and he gently touched the small mole on the tip of her nose.
A smile on the corner of his mouth.
When his leg injury heals, he will take her away from here, but before that, he must convince her uncle.
Xie Yun narrowed her dark eyes, as if thinking about something. Compared with her uncle, her aunt was an excellent breakthrough point.
As he thought about it, his expression turned cold. It would be best if he didn't find out that those transferred conscripts were related to that person.
"Well, we agreed not to..."
Don't meet again, don't contact each other, don't have any more dealings. If you keep my cousin and the villagers safe, I won't hold any grudge against you anymore. All is cleared now.
Zhang Jingxian stood up, hugged his arms in a daze, tilted her head on his neck, closed her eyes again, and her cheeks and the corners of her eyes were wet.
The sudden hug made Xie Yun's body stiffen and interrupted all his thoughts.
His fingertips touched the tear marks on her face, and the cool feeling spread throughout his body, relieving the pain in his legs.
"Don't cry, I will take you with me and fulfill your wish."
Xie Yun smiled and murmured, stroking her cheeks again and again with his fingertips.
Zhang Jingxian slept for a very long time without realizing it. Finally, a yellow oriole flew in from the tree and pecked her awake.
The yellow warbler tilted its head, thinking that humans had slept for too long. Would they be like some of its kind, closing their eyes and never waking up again?
So, it pecked the back of her hand with its pointed beak.
Zhang Jingxian woke up and was confused for a moment before she saw the man sitting next to her. He was a little distance away from her body, but his clothes and hair were intertwined in a very ambiguous way.
It's like an unclear relationship.
She held her breath and carefully moved away while Xie Yun was still unconscious. But when she was about to succeed, her scalp hurt.
Zhang Jingxian looked back and saw that a strand of her hair was wrapped around his finger, and Xie Yun was looking at her leisurely at this time.
"My dear, this is not the place you should be." Zhang Jingxian felt uneasy. It was definitely not a good sign that he ran to her bed in the middle of the night.
Xie Yun raised an eyebrow at her questioning voice and sneered, "Ah Xian called me here crying at night, then hugged me and wouldn't let me leave, and now you're blaming me?"
"Do you want me to help Ah Xian recall what you said and did?"
He spoke indifferently, his eyes gloomy.
"...No need." Zhang Jingxian was stunned for a moment, her heart in turmoil. She hurriedly avoided his gaze and changed the subject, "Doctor Meng will be here soon. Go wash up quickly."
"This isn't the first time Doctor Meng comes here, why are you so nervous?" Xie Yun slowly untangled her hair from around her fingers, revealing her unbearable panic in one sentence.
As for why he was panicking, he knew it very well.
She could no longer hide her true feelings. From the day she carried him back home, she had a contradictory and complicated love for herself.
Struggle, then wake up, and the cycle continues endlessly.
"I'm not nervous." Zhang Jingxian turned her head away and retorted palely. She was not nervous but expectant.
Hearing this, Xie Yun curled his lips and didn't believe her words at all.
"Ah Xian, listen, your heart is beating very fast."
You are moved!
There was a sudden knock on the door. Xie Yun's face was gloomy and he looked outside the door coldly.
Dr. Meng came at the wrong time, but he saved a person.
Zhang Jingxian remained calm and silently unbolted the door. Not surprisingly, she saw Xie and others following Doctor Meng.
"Doctor Meng, who are they?" She asked pretending to be ignorant, but her body quietly turned sideways, allowing Xie to see Envoy Xie, whom he had followed since childhood.
"Alang!"
The envoy he had been looking for for many days was right in front of him. Xie rushed over excitedly and called out his old name to Xie Yun.
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The author has something to say: Muah, I’m v now, thank you all for your support, I’ll send out red envelopes for this chapter, and there will be a third update during the day~
"Red door against red door, bamboo door against bamboo door" is a line from a movie.
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