Chapter 129: Between lovers, there is a tacit understanding

At nightfall, it started snowing again, with snowflakes falling to the ground in large and silent flakes.

Nian Xi thought about what her father and brother had just talked about at the table.

The imperial court had to spend huge amounts of money on military expenses in order to support the wars at the front.

Just talking about horses, in the last battle between the Zhenbei Army and the Liang Army, "there were 140,000 official and private horses, but less than 30,000 horses were brought back to the border."

In just one battle, 90,000 horses were lost, and the price of a male horse was more than 4,000 yuan.

However, military expenses include not only the cost of war horses, but also the costs of officers' salaries, soldiers' rations, cotton-padded clothes and armor, weapons and equipment, construction of fortifications, funerals and pensions, etc.

Under these circumstances, the Ministry of Revenue once again increased miscellaneous taxes. The harsh taxes made the cold winter unbearable, and many people even sold their children.

However, the rich and powerful still live extravagantly.

After the family had finished their meal, Nianxi returned to her own yard. The snow was still falling, hitting her face heavily. After walking a short distance, her face was numb from the cold.

Nian Xi couldn't help but think of Gu Ci, who was far away in the north, guarding his home and his country, and Pei Jian, who was devoting all his energy to official duties.

In her previous life, she lived too narrowly, immersed in her own imaginary little world of love, and never cared about the disturbances from the outside world.

After living her life again, Nian Xi realized the preciousness of life. Besides, she no longer wanted to live in a melancholy and just live a quiet life in private.

She paid attention to the court reports, the war on the front, and even the suffering of the people.

Although she knew that her own strength was limited and she did not have the ability to achieve earth-shaking achievements like Gu Ci or Pei Jian, she still wanted to do something.

She is not the confused Wen Nianxi who has just been reborn and is eager to be loved.

She had a stronger spiritual core and wanted to leave something in this world, even if it was just a little bit.

When you look back at the time of death, you won't be filled with regrets.

So the next day, she went to the Liuji Hall in the east of the city where free porridge was provided.

The Liuji Hall was founded by Lady Chengjing, Lady Xian.

Lady Xian was a remarkable woman. When she was young, she was full of legends. She even led troops to war as a daughter. When her children and relatives died of war or illness, she was left alone. After returning to Beijing, she founded the Liuji Hospital, which specialized in treating the poor and the sick who could not support themselves.

Nian Xi had heard a lot about Madam Cheng Jing in her previous life and admired her very much.

However, she is very old and rarely appears in Beijing.

For several days, she followed the women from the Liuji Hall to distribute porridge in the east of the city, and witnessed the various aspects of the world and the sufferings of the people.

The so-called porridge was actually brown rice mixed with a little bit of fine grains, boiled into a thin soup, and then distributed. Nianxi tasted it secretly. The brown rice was coarse and had a stale and moldy taste, which made it difficult to swallow.

But those poorly dressed people, children, and women seemed to be holding delicious food, full of gratitude, as if they had found a treasure.

There are fundraising activities in the capital every year. In her previous life, Nian Xi was just like most noble ladies, she just donated some money to get a good reputation.

That money might not even be enough to buy a hairpin, but it could buy a few bags of brown rice at the rice shop, allowing a poor family to get through the cold winter.

When Pei Jian returned to the city, he accidentally caught a glimpse of a familiar figure. He thought it was just his eyes. He had been busy for several days, especially since last night, and he had hardly slept.

Being tired, I just thought it was an illusion because I missed her too much.

However, when he looked again, the pretty figure busy in front of the porridge stall, who else could it be but Nian Xi?

“Stop.”

Pei Jian got off the carriage.

It was very cold after the snow.

Pei Jian walked over and saw Nian Xi wearing suede gloves and a scarf that covered her entire head and face, leaving only a pair of clear eyes exposed. She was skillfully scooping a bowl of porridge and handing it to the team in front of her.

Next to her stood a child who looked similar to An Ji, also wrapped tightly. Nian Xi scooped a bowl of porridge and he made a cake, and the two worked in perfect harmony.

Pei Jian stood by and watched for a long time, but Nian Xi didn't notice him.

The Lianghuai Salt Case involved serious matters. Even though Zhang Hongzhe was dead and Prince Jing was not implicated for the time being, the salt administration and salt merchants were connected to each other and covered up and inferred facts during the trial, making it difficult to investigate the entire case.

In order to prevent the news from leaking out, Pei Jian worked tirelessly in a secret place outside the capital for several days before finally making a breakthrough.

For Pei Jian, seeing Nian Xi here was like an unexpected surprise.

Those long-lost memories also became clear again.

In his previous life, he was always very busy, and his time was almost completely occupied by official duties. He often missed their appointments or was late.

Many times, he could see her waiting for him.

Whether it was a busy street or a crowded store, as long as he showed up, no matter what Nianxi was doing, eating or buying things, she would always be able to spot him at the first moment.

Then she waved at him in surprise.

Every time, she could see him with incredible accuracy.

It was a very happy time.

Pei Jian asked her how she could see him among so many people. Nian Xi smiled and said softly, "Because lovers have a tacit understanding."

But Nianxi, it’s not like that.

If you can spot your lover at first sight in a crowded crowd, it’s because that’s who your heart desires.

It was as if he recognized Nianxi's figure with just a casual glance.

It was as if he had been standing here for a long time, and Nian Xi had never raised her eyes to notice him.

Pei Jian's heart was frozen and unconscious in this cold winter day.

Nian Xi finished a large pot of porridge and her arms were almost unable to lift.

Noticing another person coming, she said with a straight face, "Today's porridge is finished. Come earlier tomorrow."

Then, she heard a familiar cold voice, "That's really unfortunate."

Nian Xi looked up and saw Pei Jian standing in front of her, his lips slightly curled, his eyes dark and deep, as if he had many words to say.

"We're out of porridge, do you want some cakes?"

Pei Jian agreed.

Nian Xi motioned to Lu Huai, who glared at her and reluctantly picked out the smallest cake, not forgetting to emphasize, "Don't waste it."

Pei Jian took it, tore off a piece and put it in his mouth.

The biscuit was hard and had no heat at all. Eating it was like swallowing a lump of ice.

Even in such an environment, his eating style is still very elegant.

"Are you going back?"

He didn't ask Nianxi why she came here to distribute porridge.

In fact, there is no need to ask. Nianxi used to be an innocent little girl. Even if there was a little red mark on her hand, she would hide in his arms coquettishly and cry out in pain.

Her world is small.

Now, she can continuously distribute porridge in the cold and snowy weather, and she does not stop even when she is tired. She wears the simplest clothes, but her eyes seem to carry the stars in the sky, shining brightly.

Since his rebirth, Pei Jian has been trying to find traces of the past in Nian Xi. He used to be the first in her heart, and he felt the preference from her that no one else gave him.

He thought that as long as he could find the past, he could grasp happiness again.

But until just now, when he saw Nian Xi distributing porridge, even though she was wrapped tightly, her tenderness could be seen from the corners of her eyes and eyebrows, and he felt her upward strength.

He misses the Nianxi of the past, but also loves the Nianxi who is living a positive life now.

He heard a voice from the bottom of his heart, I want her to be happy.

As long as she is happy.