83 Chapter 83
◎She is seeking a way out◎
"I'm not tired." Fan Qingsong rubbed his clothes vigorously, and the clear water in the basin turned into muddy water. "No matter how hard life is now, it's not as hard as when I was fleeing famine."
He had never been so motivated as he was now. He often wondered if this life with a wife, children and a future was real.
The house they lived in had only two rooms and one kang. Although he always stayed up very late before going to bed, and although Mrs. Cheng was hugging Xiaoliu and was far away from him, they lay on the same kang, and no matter how tired they were, they could not stop the excitement in their bodies and minds.
There were few opportunities to call her "Madam" or "Madam" in public, but it did happen. Every time he did so, his heart was moved.
Madam Cheng is both talented and pretty, what virtue and ability does he have?
Cheng Mu sat in the hall, daydreaming. When she came to her senses, she found that Fan Qingsong had looked at her several times.
He had already washed the clothes and hung them up to hang, and also brought back a bucket of water.
"What do you want to say? Just say it."
Fan Qingsong rubbed his hands, feeling a little embarrassed to speak. "Dou Yi, the owner of the Yunlai Inn, asked me to talk to you. He wants to know the whereabouts of his wife."
Cheng Mu's face darkened. "Doesn't he know what will happen to a woman if she's captured?"
Fan Qingsong remained silent. He had also advised Dou Yi not to harbor any illusions. Even if he knew, what would happen? How could he not care? "Dou Yi hid a string of gold beads and wanted to use them to exchange for someone else." If he wanted to exchange someone else, why didn't he do it right from the beginning? It's been over two months, and he's suffered everything he deserves.
Although Cheng Mu was worried, she still hoped that things wouldn't be as bad as they thought. "I'll send a letter to Shangguan Duan, asking him to come inspect the spring sowing and ask him to help ask about it."
Fan Qingsong took out the golden beads and handed them to Cheng Mu. Cheng Mu stared at the round beads, imagining where Manager Dou would have hidden them for so long, and was reluctant to reach out to take them.
"You take it first. I'll go find Xiaoliu."
Cheng Mu found Xiaoliu, who was playing with Tali, at the second house in the village. Xiaoliu said mysteriously, "Tali's aunt is going to have a baby."
Cheng Mu knew that the woman in the village who was about to give birth was very young, had a childish face, and a big belly.
"It started?"
"He was yelling at home, and Tully and I were lying outside the door listening."
"When she gives birth to the baby, you can send a gift to her on her behalf."
Xiaoliu jumped up and down, "What does mother want to give?"
Cheng Mu rummaged through the space and found something that she could take out that was not eye-catching and happened to be what the other party needed. She was afraid that it was only millet. She couldn't give too much, so a small bag would be enough. No one would ask her where she got it from.
If someone really asks, just say that you changed it when you changed the seeds last time.
Cheng Mu's millet was not delivered because early the next morning, she heard that Tali's aunt had died in childbirth.
Xiaoliu burst into tears.
"Mom, giving birth to a child is a happy event, why would someone die?"
Cheng Mu felt heavy-hearted and didn't know how to comfort her. "Giving birth is like going through the gates of hell for a woman. Too many women have died from childbirth."
She thought of Mu Yun's mother again. Many women suffered from sequelae due to childbirth.
The main reason is that this young aunt is too young and not strong.
"Fortunately, mother is fine." Xiaoliu hugged Cheng Mu tightly. She was extremely proud at this moment that her mother was the most powerful woman who was fine giving birth to two babies at once.
Cheng Mu smiled faintly. Yes, she was very lucky.
In this life, she will never give herself the chance to reach the gates of hell.
Cheng Mu still asked Xiaoliu to send the bag of millet to Uncle Tali's house. The mother was gone, but the son was still there, and it was not easy to raise a kid.
Xiaoliu was gone for a long time and came back happy again. "Mom, I learned how to milk goats. Just now, Tali and I milked four sheep in the sheep pen. From now on, Xiaolilu will drink goat's milk."
The baby was lucky enough to have goat milk to drink.
"Her name is Lilu? Is she a girl?"
"Yes, just like us."
Cheng Mu sent the message out, and within two days Shangguan Duan came to see the progress of the spring sowing.
It was only in the past few days that Cheng Mu found out that Neizhou was originally the land of Shangguan Duan's maternal family. There was a grave on the hillside, and Shangguan Duan went there specifically to pay homage during the Qingming Festival.
Shangguan Duan is half Han Chinese, and intermarriage between Mongolians and Han Chinese was common decades ago.
After his maternal tribe was destroyed and the border was blocked, he never returned.
After all, the Mongols wiped out his mother's clan, and the Yan court wiped out his father's clan. There was no reason for him to forget the hatred of the genocide and help the Mongols. It was only later that Cheng Mu realized that Shangguan Duan stood on Xu Huan's side and pointed his sword at the Yan court.
"Prince Jing Xu Yong brought the red cannon in the battle of Xuancheng, which was really intimidating." Shangguan Duan said this to Cheng Mu with a forced smile after inspecting the spring sowing situation.
Red Cannon? Are firearms now being used on the battlefield?
Cheng Mu probed, "I heard it was copied from the barbarian ship cannons and is very powerful."
"Yes." Shangguan Duan gritted his teeth, "Prince Jing really refuses to admit defeat."
"You were the ones who started the war this spring."
Shangguan Duan's eyes swept over her face, and he said sinisterly, "How can you be proud of this? They are demonstrating the country's prestige, not saving you."
Shangguan Duan looked out from a high vantage point at the vast expanse of farmland, where the water shimmered and the young seedlings began to grow. "Madam Cheng is a capable person, yet Yan Ting doesn't even realize your value. Madam Cheng, it's not worth it for you to serve them."
The grass seeds scattered on the slope have turned into green patches, looking as green as a carpet.
The sky is clear and the breeze is blowing, and my mood just improves for no reason.
"I don't serve the imperial court, how could Master Shangguan understand?"
When he left, Cheng Mu quickly mentioned Dou Yi's request. Shangguan Duan waved his hand and said, "They are all camp prostitutes. He needs to redeem them with gold."
Cheng Mu quickly asked Fan Qingsong to take out Dou Yi's gold beads.
Shangguan Duan had someone take it and left.
Two days later, the person was sent over as expected.
Dou Yi's wife was called Ji Cong. Dou Yi brought her over to thank Cheng Mu, who praised Dou Yi for his loyalty and righteousness. Dou Yi's words were kind, but Ji Cong was not happy. She looked pale and worried.
It’s not that Cheng Xi is sensitive, she trusts her intuition.
She told Fan Qingsong, "Please pay more attention to Dou Yi and his wife, and help them if you can."
That night, Ji Cong jumped into the water and was rescued by Fan Qingsong.
When Cheng Mu heard about it, she immediately rushed to Dou Yi and his friends' hut.
The body that had been soaked in water was trembling, and the sound of teeth chattering could be heard. Cheng Mu asked Dou Yi and Fan Qingsong to go and get some more hay.
Cheng Mu comforted Ji Cong, saying that people should look forward and let the past go.
Ji Cong frowned coldly and used all his strength to spit at Cheng Mu.
The emaciated man's eyes were filled with resentment. "If you are so open-minded, why didn't you join a brothel in the first place?"
"traitor!"
Although both women were captured, their experiences were vastly different, and even the slightest gesture of kindness was too much for her to bear.
Cheng Xi said no more.
Dou Yi and Fan Qingsong each found some hay, gathered them together, and used them to cover Ji Cong.
On the way home, Fan Qingsong worried: "If I fail to commit suicide this time, there might be another time."
Cheng Mu felt depressed, "If I hadn't redeemed her, she wouldn't have ended up like this, right?"
Fan Qingsong half lowered his head, "I remember my grandma said that those who seek death are actually seeking life."
Cheng Mu was shocked.
If a person has no desire to live, how can they be so miserable? What is Ji Cong praying for? She is praying for a way to live.
She hated her and cursed her just to survive.
Back home, Xiaoliu woke up in shock, "Mom, where have you all been?"
"It's okay, go back to sleep."
The next day, Cheng Mu was going to the fields, so she asked Xiaoliu to bring two steamed potatoes to Ji Cong.
I specifically warned her, "If she gets angry and wants to smash something, let her do it, and if she scolds you, just listen."
"Why?"
"Just listen to your mother. Go now."
Not long after, Xiaoliu went to the field to find Cheng Mu.
"mother!"
She looked furious, and Cheng Xi couldn't help but laugh, "What's wrong with you? Be careful when you walk. You almost sprained your ankle just now."
"Mom, that auntie is so mean, she smashes things and curses at people."
"Yeah." Guessed it. Cheng Mu asked, "Is Xiaoliu scared? When I'm done with my work, I'll go over there myself at noon. Tali is herding sheep on the hillside, you can go play with him."
"No! Mom, listen to me, she was scared by me."
Xiao Liu spread his legs, put his hands on his hips, and acted out a fierce performance for her. "She called my mother a traitor, so I called her a traitor. I said my mother begged and pleaded with everyone to help redeem you, and you turned around and bit my mother. You are a traitor and a dog! She was so angry that she almost vomited."
Cheng Mu was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
At noon, she personally went there with some corn porridge because Ji Cong had a fever.
Dou Yi apologized, "She was confused due to the fever and said some nonsense. Madam Cheng, please don't take it to heart."
"She's angry, so you should be more tolerant. Feed her the porridge, otherwise she won't have the energy to scold anyone."
Cheng Mu pretended to be relaxed because Dou Yi was too boring. Cheng Mu almost forgot how warm Dou Yi was when she first met him on the Lantern Festival. Even when he knelt in front of Shangguan Duan and begged during the Mongolian invasion, he was full of energy.
Now there is no light in his eyes, no brilliance on his face, no words in his mouth, and no energy in his body. He looks like a walking corpse.
He lost everything: the inn, his family, his freedom, his reputation. Cheng Mu had no words to comfort him. Men should be stronger than women. After all, comfort is pale.
A few days later, during dinner, Fan Qingsong suddenly said, "The man in Manager Dou's family might have burned his brain and gone crazy."
Cheng Mu put down the bowl, puzzled, "Didn't you say it was fine?"
"I heard from Guo Zhen that she was screaming and jumping around like crazy in the room. She was in a lot of trouble. Today, she even ran out to climb a tree and fell down."
Those people lived crowded together in a house with a round vaulted roof, and could hear every little movement clearly.
"I'll go check on her later. When you're done eating, talk to the guard and see if they can get her some medicine."
"Without a doctor, I don't know what medicine to take." Fan Qingsong was in a dilemma. "Besides, the medicine is very expensive, and Shopkeeper Dou may not agree to it."
"Mom, I'm done eating. Tully is calling me outside. I'm going out first!"
Xiaoliu ran away in a hurry. When she was not around, Cheng Mu seriously wanted to ask Fan Qingsong a question.
"Brother Fan, I've been wanting to ask you, in your opinion, why did Shopkeeper Dou want to redeem the person after such a long time?"
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