Jiang Huaifu's face was rather unpleasant, and Song He'er, looking at him, had already anticipated the outcome.
"Something happened?" Song He'er asked softly.
Song Xiaoyu did not linger there, but called Li Qiang, who had been guarding the shore, and left together.
Jiang Huaifu hesitated for a long time before stammering, "She has passed away. Of the two children she brought with her, the boy fell seriously ill and several physicians in the palace were unable to save him, so he also passed away. Only the little girl is left, and she is now working in a teahouse in Xizhou."
Song He'er was somewhat surprised. Dead? The person just died like that?
She remembered that when they left, all three of them were in good health. Even though Su Yu's wife was a weak woman who couldn't be helped up, she loved her children more than herself.
Even for the sake of her two children, she will take good care of her health and not let herself get sick so quickly.
This has gone too far; not only did he lose his own life, but he also implicated his child.
"When did this happen? I don't remember you ever mentioning it to me before."
"This is not a good thing. Bringing it up will only add to the sadness. Besides, she was the one who voluntarily gave up and left with you. She deserves this fate."
Although Jiang Huaifu's words were somewhat harsh, they were indeed true. If she hadn't been meddling and hadn't had a conflict with Li Qiang's wife, and hadn't asked to stay in Xizhou, she wouldn't be in this situation now.
She was an exile, and her selfish departure from the group would likely bring trouble to the entire family. Qin Xiaoniang and the others didn't pursue her selfish behavior, but now that she's dead, it's a relief. It also saves the government from suddenly remembering her and sending troops to look for her one day.
“I’m not sad, I just feel sorry for the child. He was so young, and his life was cut short. If he had come to Xinzhou with us, even if he didn’t have a good life, he would have grown up safely.”
Jiang Huaifu smiled and reached out his slender fingers to wipe away the glint in her eyes.
A slightly cold touch made Song He'er realize that she was actually crying.
“You are ruthless, sometimes you really are, but now you seem to have the heart of a bodhisattva who saves people from suffering.”
Song He'er glared at him, "I'm not a heartless person!"
Jiang Huaifu looked at her, his smile deepening. "Others may not understand, but I do understand a little. Your strong will isn't entirely for your mother and clan's century-old legacy; it's also for yourself. You want to prove to heaven that you will not succumb to fate."
Song He'er felt a little flustered. Although Jiang Huaifu wasn't entirely right, his assessment of her was undeniably accurate.
She came from the future, and it would be impossible for her to have any deep affection for the original owner's mother and younger brother; she was simply fulfilling the original owner's duty to take care of them.
Most of the time, it's to prove oneself.
She was unwilling to become a stepping stone for this era without anyone noticing. No matter how bad things were, she only wanted to prove that as long as she worked hard, she could definitely change her fate! It wouldn't be a wasted trip for her.
"You're overconfident. What makes you think you understand me? Even my parents sometimes can't figure out what I'm thinking." Song He'er said, and then turned to leave.
Jiang Huaifu did not speak, but instead ordered two servants to follow him.
Looking at their large bags and bundles, Song He'er frowned. "Didn't my third uncle and Uncle Li Qiang already take the raw materials back?"
"This is clay. Didn't you ask me for clay a couple of days ago? Now that I've found it, we can paste it on the bricks and stones tomorrow, and it won't let in any drafts at night."
"Um... thank you."
“You can’t carry it all by yourself, and your third uncle and the others are quick to leave, so I had these two take it back to you.”
Song He'er nodded without saying anything, and left the shore with the servant.
After walking for a long time, she suddenly turned around and saw Jiang Huaifu still standing on the shore, the bright moonlight casting his tall figure on the ground, making him appear slender.
His sword-like eyebrows swept down to his temples, and his pair of deep, dreamy eyes gradually became somewhat blurred in the night.
Song He'er couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. With such a favored son of heaven entangled with her day and night, it was hard to guarantee that strange feelings would develop in the future.
But she's no longer a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl; her heart already belongs to the future, to the future, and she'll likely never show any mercy...
"Miss Song, we've arrived. I've left your things here; we need to go back and report."
The servant next to him suddenly reminded him.
Song He'er's thoughts were pulled back, and she realized that she had been lost in thought for quite some time.
"Thank you, please take care on your journey home."
"yes."
After saying that, the two turned and left.
Zhang Xiue seemed to have heard the commotion outside. She put on a coat and came out, looking at the two blurry figures in front of her, and asked, "Who is it?"
"Hmm... Jiang Huaifu's attendants delivered clay to us, and the money will be deducted from their next wages."
"It's kind of him to still be thinking about this." Zhang Xiu'e smiled broadly, as if something happy had happened. "Your third uncle told me that he also thinks Jiang Huaifu is a good person, handsome and upright. He didn't act arrogantly because of his previous status. Now that he's willing to help you, it must be because of the kindness we showed him back then. If you..."
"Oh, no!" Song He'er interrupted her directly.
"No... I just told your mother about this. We used to tell you to stay away from him simply because of his status. Now that he has given up the riches of the palace and is willing to establish a foothold in Nanzhao, he is a good candidate!"
"Third Aunt, even if I were willing, he wouldn't be interested in this. Besides, he contacted me to make money, so how did that come to mind?"
"Alright, alright, I won't say anything more. But it's true, we are exiled criminals who have been banished. Even if he is no longer a prince, your statuses are worlds apart. It's probably not appropriate. But next year is your coming-of-age ceremony. If you can get out safely, your third aunt will definitely find you someone you can entrust your life to and let you live comfortably for the rest of your life."
Song He'er yawned and prepared to go to bed.
"Third Aunt, don't think about such things. We've just solved the problem of food and clothing, why are you thinking about marriage! Besides, how could the people of Nanzhao marry a refugee from another place? I think you and Mother are just daydreaming... Go to sleep!"
Before Zhang Xiue could speak, Song He'er had already disappeared into the cave.
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