Departure
Three days have passed, and the three are ready to set off.
The carriage was already prepared, and Zhu Ying was busy loading Pei Jue's belongings onto it, while Xu Ruoyan was busy sorting out the money she had earned over the past few days.
Because Xu Ruoyan had accumulated too much silver, a small carriage could barely accommodate three adults, let alone three chests of silver. Fortunately, Xu Ruoyan had made preparations in advance and instructed Zhuying to request an extra carriage.
She was busy moving the boxes onto the carriage behind.
"Here, these are for you." Xu Ruoyan tossed a small cloth bag onto Pei Jue's lap.
Pei Jue picked up the rope and weighed it in his hand.
Quite a few.
Xu Ruoyan tossed a smaller bag to Zhuying.
"Guard Zhu, here's some money for you. Please follow that car behind us; all our family's wealth is in that car."
Zhu Ying glanced hesitantly at Pei Jue, who nodded.
After everything was completely packed up, the driver cracked his whip, and the carriage wobbled off on its way.
"This place is far from the capital, about a ten-day journey. Can you bear it, Madam?"
Xu Ruoyan nodded nonchalantly: "It's all a small matter. But you, the prince who has been pampered and spoiled since childhood, don't let him throw up in less than an hour."
Even so, Xu Ruoyan knew that Pei Jue was physically strong and wouldn't be afraid of the journey over the next few days; she was just teasing him.
By the fifth day of their journey, the towering mountains had bowed down behind them, and the land before them was becoming increasingly flat and expansive, with houses and villages becoming more densely packed.
"They've come down from the mountain." Xu Ruoyan peered out the small window.
Pei Jue agreed, "We're not far from the capital now; we'll arrive in six days."
"Six days? Wasn't it supposed to be a ten-day journey? We've already traveled for five days, how can there still be six days?" Xu Ruoyan turned her head in confusion.
On the vast plain, the cold wind, like a wild horse, came with even greater ferocity. At this moment, Xu Ruoyan had the window wide open and couldn't help but shiver slightly from the cold.
Pei Jue leaned over and pulled her over, closed the window tightly, and then wrapped her in a blanket.
"It's freezing cold, Madam, please be careful not to catch a cold."
“Tonight is New Year’s Eve. I think we should stop here for a while and continue our journey after New Year’s Eve,” he explained.
Xu Ruoyan was stunned for a moment.
Is it almost Chinese New Year? Since she came here, she has lost her sense of time and often doesn't know what year it is.
As they were talking, the carriage slowly came to a stop. The coachman lifted the curtain: "Master, Madam, we've arrived at the inn."
Xu Ruoyan glanced at Pei Jue suspiciously: "You had this planned all along?"
Pei Jue hummed in agreement: "I had already planned it out before we set off. We'll be on the road for the next two days of the Spring Festival. After all, it's a festival for family reunion, so we should at least stay up together and eat dumplings."
Xu Ruoyan shrugged, clearly a little disappointed: "Your family isn't around, and neither are my family members. It doesn't matter whether we spend New Year's Eve or not."
She jumped out of the car first, and after standing still, she went to help Pei Jue: "Be careful, the ground is all icy... Hey!"
Before she could finish her instructions, Pei Jue slipped and fell forward.
Xu Ruoyan reacted quickly and immediately darted over to catch him securely.
Before she could utter a word of reproach, she heard Pei Jue whisper in her ear, "Madam is also my family. I'd be happy to spend the Spring Festival with you."
A cold wind howled, and the world was a pristine white. Amidst the chill, Pei Jue pressed close to Xu Ruoyan, his voice brushing against her ear, leaving behind a string of fine water droplets.
For some reason, Xu Ruoyan suddenly had the illusion that the two of them were the only ones in the world who could rely on each other.
Hearing Pei Jue say this, she patted his back reassuringly, her voice firm and strong: "Okay, I'll spend the Spring Festival with you."
Pei Jue's lips curled up slightly. He pulled away from Xu Ruoyan's embrace, took her hand, and shielded her from the cold wind.
"Let's go inside."
Bamboo Shadow had already arranged rooms for them.
“Master, this is your and your wife’s room. I’m in the room next door.”
Zhu Ying bowed respectfully and then withdrew.
Xu Ruoyan entered the room, glanced around, and immediately turned and walked out.
Pei Jue's hands moved faster than his brain; before his brain could even process what was happening, his hand immediately grabbed Xu Ruoyan's sleeve: "Where is Madam going?"
Xu Ruoyan gave him a strange look; "There's only one bed in this room, how are the two of us going to sleep? I'll go ask for another room."
She shook her hand, but found that she hadn't shaken Pei Jue off.
She looked up in confusion and found Pei Jue staring at her with his lips tightly pursed. Although his eyes were covered, he still exuded a pitiful and vulnerable aura.
"Madam, we are husband and wife, what's wrong with us sleeping in the same bed?"
Xu Ruoyan wavered a little.
Pei Jue pressed his advantage: "Since we've already said we're husband and wife, if you sleep in separate rooms from me, people will think we're having a fight."
Xu Ruoyan's bottom line is receding.
Pei Jue used his trump card: "Besides, today is New Year's Eve. Does Madam intend to leave me alone in my room?"
Xu Ruoyan was completely defeated, and helplessly pinched Pei Jue's cheek: "Okay, okay, but it's a promise. Just this once!"
She walked to the bedside, took the cloak Pei Jue had just taken off, rolled it up, and piled it in the middle of the bed: "We'll each have half of the bed, but don't cross the line."
Pei Jue nodded obediently.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. Xu Ruoyan pushed the door open and saw a servant carrying a large tray, smiling insincerely at her: "Sir, your dinner is here."
One plate after another was placed on the table, filling the already small table to the brim. Xu Ruoyan was dazzled by the sight, and her stomach began to rumble.
"Braised mushrooms, crispy fish, Dongpo pork, eight-treasure steamed buns..." The waiter held up the menu and checked each dish one by one. "All the dishes are served. Please enjoy your meal, sir."
As soon as the servant left, Xu Ruoyan grabbed her chopsticks and poked at the Dongpo pork. The chopsticks stopped abruptly as soon as they touched the meat.
That seems a bit impolite.
"Can we eat now?" Xu Ruoyan stared intently at Pei Jue.
Pei Jue was amused by her aggressive manner, and he picked up his chopsticks and said, "Eat quickly."
So Xu Ruoyan began to sweep the entire table away like a whirlwind.
"Slow down, don't choke," Pei Jue couldn't help but remind him.
Listening to the chaotic clattering of bowls and chopsticks, even without seeing them, Pei Jue could imagine Xu Ruoyan's cheeks bulging out.
Xu Ruoyan gave an awkward laugh, trying to be mindful of her image. But since arriving here, she hadn't had a decent meal, and now, surrounded by such delicious food, she was naturally overwhelmed and no longer cared about her image, picking at the food at an increasingly faster pace.
Image and etiquette are impractical things, only for those who can afford to eat.
A short while later, Xu Ruoyan slumped in the chair, rubbing her stomach with both hands.
"I'm so full." She covered her mouth and burped.
Pei Jue smiled and said, "There are even more delicacies in the capital. When we return to the capital, I will definitely lay out all those delicious foods in front of you for you to enjoy as you please."
Upon hearing this, Xu Ruoyan curled her lip in disdain: "Given that you're penniless right now, it's more like I'm the one taking you out to eat."
Pei Jue's smile deepened.
"Would you like to come downstairs for a walk to digest your food, Madam?"
Xu Ruoyan slammed her hand on the table and stood up: "Great, that's exactly what I was thinking."
She thought for a moment, then took Pei Jue's cloak and draped it over him: "There will be fireworks later, let's go outside and take a look."
“Okay,” Pei Jue said gently.
On New Year's Eve, although the weather was cold, every household went out to prepare for setting off fireworks and firecrackers. After all, it was a large town with many residents, and the streets were bustling with people. Children carried lanterns, and adults gathered together to set off fireworks and firecrackers, creating a lively atmosphere that dispelled much of the cold.
At this moment, the innkeeper was waiting downstairs. When he saw Xu Ruoyan helping Pei Jue downstairs, he went up to them and took out two small red cloth strips that he had prepared and handed them over.
"Gentlemen, I wish you both a prosperous and lucky new year!" The shopkeeper clasped his hands in front of his chest and shook them cheerfully.
Xu Ruoyan smiled, accepted her small red envelope, and happily thanked the boss.
"Hey, let me see how much yours is." Xu Ruoyan said as she walked, reaching out to pull Pei Jue's hand away.
Pei Jue opened his hand, and five copper coins lay quietly in his palm.
Xu Ruoyan stretched out her hand and laughed happily: "I have eight, I have more than you!"
Behind them, a firework bursts into bloom.
Pei Jue suddenly moved closer and gently stroked Xu Ruoyan's cheek.
Xu Ruoyan froze on the spot, her fingers stiffened, and the bag in her hand fell to the ground with a thud.
She blinked, then frantically tried to squat down: "Oh no, my red envelope..."
Pei Jue grabbed her arm and pulled her up, then took a step forward. "Don't move, I want to know what you look like."
Xu Ruoyan thought to herself, "Wait a minute, why does my job of washing clothes and cooking have an extra charge?"
Growing angrier the more she thought about it, Xu Ruoyan slapped his hand away: "What do you mean by 'looks'? Physical contact comes at a different price!"
After saying that, she walked away with her head down, leaving Pei Jue standing there dumbfounded and at a loss.
It was nearly midnight, and people were getting more and more excited. The sounds of fireworks and firecrackers exploding were incessant, and the dark sky was painted with vibrant colors by the fireworks. Xu Ruoyan held a piece of Dingsheng cake and chewed on it, looking up at the brilliant fireworks.
Pei Jue followed and stood beside her.
"Actually, my eyes can already see some blurry shadows."
The firecrackers were so loud that Xu Ruoyan took a few seconds to decipher Pei Jue's voice. When she realized what Pei Jue had said, she was so shocked that she forgot to chew the pastry in her mouth.
"Are you serious?!"
Pei Jue simply smiled slightly and remained silent.
Xu Ruoyan smiled broadly, cheered, and grabbed Pei Jue's hand, spinning him around.
"I knew I could do it!"
At this moment, the innkeeper came out: "Would you like to set off some firecrackers, sir?"
Xu Ruoyan eagerly took it, arranged it in front of her, then picked up a match, struck it, and lit the fuse.
"Run!" Xu Ruoyan covered her ears with one hand and pulled Pei Jue into the house with the other.
As the crackling sounds rang out, the midnight bells also echoed in the distance—
A new year has arrived, and a new story is about to begin.
Xu Ruoyan laughed loudly as she looked at Pei Jue, then stepped forward and tore off the white veil in front of him.
Can you see the fireworks?
Pei Jue adjusted to the bizarre and colorful light spots in front of him and said softly, "Yes, I can see it."
Xu Ruoyan laughed even more heartily, patted his shoulder amidst the noise, and whispered in his ear, "Don't worry, you'll be cured soon, trust me!"
Pei Jue looked at Xu Ruoyan, who was mesmerized by the fireworks, and quietly tightened his grip on her hand that she hadn't let go of.
You're here for me, and I trust you.
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