Chapter 216 The Messenger
In the afternoon, the sky grew increasingly gloomy, and the snow fell heavier and heavier, quickly accumulating into a thicker layer on the ground.
Visibility blurred, and the distant mountains and nearby tree shadows were all hidden in a white haze.
Jiang Ling couldn't bear to watch the workers toiling in the wind and snow, and wanted them to rest, so she went to find Grandpa Zhao, who was directing the work.
"Uncle Zhao, the snow is so heavy. Why don't we let everyone take a break and continue working when the snow gets lighter? It's not good for you to get sick from the cold."
Upon hearing this, Grandpa Zhao glanced at the sky; his white eyebrows were speckled with snowflakes, but he didn't seem to care.
He waved his hand and said in a loud voice, "Miss Jiang, you're too kind! We country folk aren't that delicate. When we were young, we dug up frozen vegetable cellars in the fields in heavy snow. This little bit of snow is nothing!"
"Don't worry, I don't think this snow will last long! I estimate it will stop in an hour or two. Winter Solstice is almost here, and there's only a little over a month until the New Year. I'll make sure Miss Jiang moves into her new house before the New Year!"
Jiang Ling stood in the snow, listening to Grandpa Zhao's simple yet powerful words, and felt a warmth spread through her heart.
Just then, the sound of horses' hooves came from the direction of the village entrance.
A figure wearing a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat rode his horse through the thick snow to her shop.
"Miss Jiang! There's a letter for you!" The person on horseback dismounted, his voice booming.
It's a messenger.
Jiang Ling quickly invited the man into the shop and poured him a cup of hot tea.
The messenger took out an envelope wrapped tightly in oilcloth from his pocket and handed it over. The seal was stamped with a special sealing wax seal.
"Thank you for your trouble, young man." Jiang Ling took the letter, a vague guess forming in her mind.
She opened the letter and quickly skimmed through it.
It was indeed sent by Qin Qian.
The letter said that they had arrived at the border safely and everything went smoothly, and asked her not to worry.
The grain she had previously procured and delivered had arrived safely and been distributed, finally allowing the soldiers to have a few full meals.
He also made sure to reassure her that although the border was cold, there was no fighting at the moment.
Jiang Ling's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down, and she breathed a long sigh of relief.
She dared not delay, and immediately went behind the counter, spread out the letter paper, ground the ink, picked up the brush, and wrote back to Qin Qian.
In her letter, besides sending her greetings and urging him to take care of his health, she mainly asked him to contact reliable people in Beijing because she was going to prepare a second batch of supplies for him.
She also stated that in addition to food, she would give him other gifts.
The letter was short and was written quickly.
As she sealed the letter and handed it to the messenger, her gaze inadvertently swept over his hand.
His fingers had large knuckles and thick calluses on the base of his thumb. How could his hands, which were used to delivering mail for many years, be like this?
This does resemble a hand that has been wielding weapons for many years.
Jiang Ling casually asked, "Young man, how many days will it take for this letter to reach the border?"
The messenger took the letter, carefully tucked it into his pocket, and spoke calmly but firmly:
"Delivery within five days."
"Five days?" Jiang Ling looked up in surprise; this speed far exceeded her expectations.
Now that heavy snow has blocked the roads and made the post roads difficult to travel, it takes at least half a month for ordinary letters to travel to and from the border.
She couldn't help but take a closer look at the messenger in front of her.
Upon closer inspection, he immediately seemed quite different from the other messengers who had delivered mail before.
Although he wore an ordinary straw raincoat, he stood tall and had sharp eyes. His tone carried a vigilance and composure that came from rigorous training.
Seemingly sensing Jiang Ling's scrutinizing gaze, the messenger's eyes flickered, and he subconsciously avoided looking directly at her.
Jiang Ling was shocked!
I should have known that Qin Qian wouldn't send a message casually, but I never expected him to send it through his personal guards!
Returning to Beijing without permission is a serious crime!
Thinking of this, Jiang Ling broke out in a cold sweat.
Not daring to delay, while the messenger was tidying up the raincoat, Jiang Ling quickly turned around and took a large bag of dry food from the shelf for him.
"Young man, you must be tired from your journey. Take this dry food with you to tide you over," she said quickly in a low voice.
The messenger hesitated for a moment, looking at the heavy package. A complex emotion flashed in his eyes, but in the end, he did not refuse and said in a low voice:
"Thank you, Miss Jiang."
Jiang Ling nodded, walked calmly to the door, and observed her surroundings.
While no one was paying attention at the door, we quickly saw him off.
"The snow is heavy and the roads are slippery, please be careful. I won't keep you any longer."
"Don't worry, young lady, as long as the trust is there, we'll stand by you!"
He clasped his hands in a salute, his movements clean and swift, then mounted his horse, spurred it on, and his figure quickly disappeared into the vast snow-covered landscape at the village entrance.
Jiang Ling stared in the direction he disappeared until she could no longer hear any sound, then she breathed a sigh of relief.
Qin Qian's actions were far too risky. It wasn't some shameful letter; why insist on having his personal guards deliver it?
In the future, when she transports grain, with so many horse-drawn carriages, how can she possibly avoid the eyes and ears of the capital?
Whether it was Grandpa Zhao's words or not, the snow did indeed gradually lessen in the afternoon. After only half an hour, only a few scattered snowflakes remained drifting in the air.
Although the snow has stopped, the temperature seems to have dropped even lower.
"Sister! The snow has stopped! Look, the snow on the ground is so thick! Shall I build you a snowman?"
Little Wing skipped over, clutching a snowball in her hand.
Jiang Ling smiled and ruffled his hair, then suddenly felt a stuffy feeling in her nose.
Achoo!
Before I could react, a sneeze came out.
Xiao Yi immediately tensed up, dropping the snowballs she was holding. "Sister! Are you sick?! I...I'll go get a doctor right away!"
In his little mind, he thought that sneezing meant he was sick, and if he was sick, he should see a doctor!
Jiang Ling quickly reached out and grabbed him, "Don't be nervous, I'm not sick, I just sneezed."
It wasn't exactly an illness, but the seasons were different in the two worlds, causing her to feel hot and cold all the time. She had just finished moving things and was covered in sweat when she was faced with the cold winter.
Xiao Yi still looked worried; he now completely regarded Jiang Ling as family.
"Is your sister really okay? Doesn't sneezing mean she's sick?"
Looking at his youthful face, Jiang Ling suddenly smiled and said, "Xiao Yi, sneezing doesn't necessarily mean you're sick. There's another saying that sneezing means someone is thinking of you."
"Huh? Really?" The little head was full of big doubt.
Hearing the commotion, Xiao Ran also came over.
Before he could ask a question, Jiang Ling spoke first:
"It's so cold outside, let me make you some sweet soup to warm you up. Xiao Ran, go to the warehouse and bring out that case of cola; Xiao Yi, go to the kitchen and get a bag of ginger. We'll make some ginger cola to help you warm up."
Although she doesn't have a cold, she definitely seems to be getting one. It's best to take precautions.
It's so cold that everyone is working in the heavy snow. Drinking some ginger cola can help warm them up.
"Okay, I'll go get it right away!" As soon as she heard there was something delicious to drink, Xiao Yi's eyes lit up, and she ran to the kitchen.
Xiao Ran nodded immediately and quickly brought a case of cola from the warehouse.
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